Summary:When you got married, people warned you that you wouldn’t just be marrying your husband, you’d be marrying into his family. Too bad no one ever warned you you’d be marrying into his friendships, too.
Rating/Warnings: All (Post-Captain America: Civil War;Captain America: Civil War Compliant; Hurt!James “Rhodey” Rhodes; Married!James “Rhodey” Rhodes; Vitriolic Best Buds; Mild Swearing; Avengers Compound)
Challenge:“100 Little Drabbles” by Wingu on Lunaescence Archives
Notes: This is my first go at writing Rhodey outside of his occasional appearances in longer Tony-centric works. It’s long overdue, and I might have gone a little overboard with Tony just because I feel bad that I always focus on his friendship with Bruce instead.
Part of the Package Deal
Gravel crunched beneath your feet as you stepped of your sensibly-sized and -colored rental car onto the Avengers Compound’s sweeping grounds. Several huge buildings rose up around you high enough to block out the sun crawling westward toward the horizon. You pulled your sunglasses off to get a better look at your surroundings. So this was where Jim had been spending so much time for the past year. And how could you blame him? This place blew your modest home in Malibu out of the water.
No, no, no! Pinching the bridge of your nose, you shook your head back and forth until it cleared of the usual Stark razzle-dazzle. You refused to let anything here impress you. Tony thought modern architecture and flashy tech were enough to make up for the fact you never heard about your husband unless he’d been involved in an accident? Well, not anymore.
With one sharp exhale, you squared your shoulders and snapped your attention to the nearby doors. According to the map you’d printed off the internet, these led into the living quarters for the Avengers. You took one handle and yanked to no avail. Locked. Yes, you decided as you took a step back to look for any obtrusive security cameras, you were definitely in the right place.
“Tony!” You banged on the glass. “Tony, let me in!”
Peering inside revealed nothing but an empty room filled with exercise equipment. You knocked again.
“Tony, I did not fly all the way here from California for you to ignore me!”
“Mr. Stark is currently tied up in other matters. May I have your name, please?”
The cool, Irish-accented voice of a woman seemed to come from nowhere. You jumped about a foot away from the door. A minute or two of pulse-pounding shock later, you realized this must be yet another of Tony’s AIs. What had happened to JARVIS, you wondered. He never had to ask for your name.
“Your [Name], please,” the new AI insisted.
“[F Name] Rhodes,” you answered as you stepped back to the door.
“I have no such name on the approved visitor list for today. Please contact our publicity office to arrange for an appointment at a later date. Goodbye.”
“Hold it!”
No reply came forth. For all the good it would do, you smashed your fist against the door once more. Then you held your breath. Still nothing moved behind the glass. Had Tony’s artificial bouncer really just left you here alone?
“Ma'am, I’m afraid that if you do not vacate the facility premises in the next ten minutes, I will be forced to call in the authorities.”
Apparently not.
“Listen,” you said, still unsure of exactly where to look to get your point across. “You tell Tony that [F Name] Rhodes is here. If he still won’t let me in, I’ll gladly talk to whatever authorities you’re required to summon. If he wants the extra publicity, I don’t mind giving it to him.”
The woman didn’t answer. You wondered again what had become of JARVIS. JARVIS knew you. He would never have left you standing outside, listening for the sound of approaching sirens or Iron Man drones. Heck, he’d probably have opened the door without waiting to get permission from his precious boss.
Movement flashed somewhere in the back of the room a quarter of an inch away from you. A figure made its rapid way in your direction. Soon it was close enough for you to identify: Tony Stark had made an appearance at last. He looked uncharacteristically pale as he unlocked the door and pushed it open to allow you inside.
“Where’s Jim?” you asked after you dumped your purse on a nearby plastic chair—the only flat surface you could fine that wasn’t tile floor.
“Hello to you, too, [Name],” Tony said. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“Don’t play dumb with me..”
“You’re a long way from California. It never occurred to you to callfirst?”
“The line was busy.” You folded your arms across your chest and asked again calmly, “Where’s Jim?”
Tony pushed his hair from his forehead with a sigh. You noticed he was having trouble meeting your eyes. “Resting.”
“Restingwhere?”
“Can we not do this right now? Let me show you to a room. We’ve got plenty available. When Rhodey’s ready, we’ll all have dinner together. I might even be able to dig Vision up from wherever he got to. We can talk then.”
Asthough Tony could weasel out of a conversation you wanted to have with him. You’d known him far too long for any of his usual stalling tactics to work.
“Tony, I’ll tell you this one time before I start pulling this place apart with my bare hands: Give me. My husband.”
Your eyes locked with his. A long pause ensued. You could practically see the gears (or suitably high-tech equivalent) turning inside Tony’s skull as he struggled to come with some comeback witty enough to distract you. Too late. Before he could utter another word, you turned on your heel to follow the dim hallway leading from the room.
“Wait!” he called after you.
You stopped and look at him over your shoulder.
“I…I can’t.”
“Why not?” You could barely keep the anger from your voice.
“Because he isn’t ready yet.”
“He isn’t ready for what?”
“Ready for you to see him!”
Gritting your teeth in a silent snarl, you marched right back up to Tony and jabbed a finger into his chest where his arc reactor used to sit. “You have no right to keep me from him.”
“I know.” He took the hand still prodding him, but instead of shoving it away, he wrapped his own hand around yours. “[Name], I promise, as soon as he’s okay, I’ll take you right to him.”
“‘Okay’? ’Okay’? Why is he not okay? Did something else happen to him?”
“No, not exactly.”
“What is he doing here anyway? He should be at the VA!”
“Trust me. This the best place for him. I’ve got one of the best neurosurgeons in the country on speed dial. Admittedly not the best, because he wouldn’t take my calls—but this one is excellent, too, and she’s keeping a good eye on him! I’m doing the best with what I’ve got, all right?”
He probably thought you’d drop the point of your husband being kept at Avengers HQ instead of a medical facility. After all, Tony was the man that built the greatest technical innovation the world had seen in decades while being kept prisoner in a cave with a box of scraps. But this wasn’t the fate of Tony’s reputation or his company at stake here. It was the man you loved’s life.
“Not good enough,” you said.
Tony pulled you back as you attempted a second break for the hall. “[Name], would you listen to me? Rhodey is as physically and emotionally fine as he can be. All I’m asking for is a little more time.”
Something about that request broke the dam inside you. Every horrible feeling you had experienced over the last few days crashed over you—the fear, the anger, the stress, the worry, all of it. Despite your best efforts to keep yourself upright and strong, tears filled your eyes. You ripped your arm free of Tony’s grip so that you could wipe your face dry with your sleeve and level a dry glare at him.
“I have given you time, Tony. It’s been days. I should have heard it from you, not from CNN.”
“I admit, when you put it that way, I could probably have handled the reveal a bit better.”
“How do you think I feel, knowing Jim is out there putting his life on the line for you, only to hear he’s been seriously injured while I’m listening to the news over dinner?”
“Things have just been a little hectic around here since Steve decided to play Dirty Harry, okay? I swear, I was going to call you just as soon as—”
“As soon as what? I am his wife, Tony! I deserve—”
“[Name]?”
Both you and Tony looked toward the hall to see a familiar man creeping up it, his hands pressed against the white wall to help him stand.
“Jim!” you gasped at the exact same time that Tony said, “Rhodey?”
For one shining moment, you remained so stunned to see your husband again that you failed to notice anything different about him. All you could do was stare at him in happy wonder—until he reached the end of the wall and nearly tumbled to the floor without further support. He would have fallen, had Tony not been quick enough to see what was happening and leap to fill the place the wall once had.
“Thanks,” Jim said.
“Don’t mention it. What are you doing out of bed?”
The two of them made their slow, staggering way across the room. You watched with one hand over your mouth. Could this really be the same man that had stood at the end of the aisle at your wedding? He looked the same and sounded the same, but, oh, Jim. Thankfully, you noticed where the men were headed before you gave yourself over to more tears. Your purse was unceremoniously dumped to the floor just as Jim collapsed into it. A few seconds went by as he caught his breath.
“I thought I heard the two of you arguing,” he answered Tony at last.
“We weren't—” But the cutting look you shot Tony prevented him finishing his protest.
“Sure,” Jim said, then he looked at you. “When did you get here?”
“About fifteen minutes ago,” you replied.
“Well, it’s good to see you. I was beginning to wonder when Tony would allow me to have visitors.”
“He didn’t.”
Jim frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I’m only here because I found out what happened on the news. Tony has nothing to do with it.”
“Oh.Oh. I’m sorry, [Name]. I should have called you. Between the media blitz and all the physical therapy, it never even crossed my mind.”
You put your hand gingerly on his shoulder and were relieved that he didn’t collapse under the added weight. “It’s okay, Jim. I don’t blame you for my finding out this way.”
“It isn’t Tony’s fault.”
You snorted, causing Jim’s faint eyebrows to lift.
“It’s not.”
“Jim.” Now your hand moved to cup his cheek. “This happened because you were cleaning up one of Tony’s messes again.”
Admittedly, you didn’t have all the details lined up just yet. One never could trust the news to tell the whole or entire truth about something, but this fiasco smelled strongly of one of Tony’s harebrained world-protection schemes. His role in keeping Jim away from for months at a time was a well-worn subject of argument between you and your husband; bringing it up now when Jim was so weak wasn’t exactly fair. But you couldn’t stand seeing him like this, and the knowledge that Tony had something to do with his injuries again only aggravated you further.
“I swear, you got hurt less often back when you only worked for the Air Force,” you said throatily.
Jim pressed one of his hands over the one you had on his face, then waited to speak until you could control yourself enough to look him in the eye:
“[Name], you know I make my own decisions.”
“And those decisions change if you think Tony’s going to get himself killed,” you grumbled.
“And you know I’m willing to call Tony out when I think he’s being an idiot.”
“Which doesn’t matter when he doesn’t listen.”
“And you knew that when you and I got married, Tony was part of that package deal.”
Another glare in Tony’s direction met with an odd expression on his part. Before it had felt like he couldn’t look straight at you. Now it felt like he’d forgotten you were even there, so focused was he on Jim. Could that be guilt you read on Tony’s face? Surely not. You turned back to your husband with a sharp breath.
“At the time, I didn’t realize the deal would involve so much of you two flying around in metal suits.”
Jim let out a soft, low chuckle. His eyelids slid shut. When he dropped his arm to his side, you reluctantly pulled your hand away from him. Tony knelt beside him to put his hand on the shoulder you had so recently held.
“You had a rough morning. You should be in bed,” he said.
“I’m fine, I’m fine.” Jim tried to wave him off, but Tony stayed put.
“I mean it. You want to backslide? All that progress we made this morning? Gone, because your stubborn ass has to come running whenever I get in a fight.”
“You’re not in any condition to go toe to toe with [Name] right now.”
“When am I ever?”
The two of them grinned at each other in that infuriating way that only a couple of guys making a private joke could. Seeing as you were the butt of that private joke, you did not crack a smile. You allowed them to continue smiling, though, until their little “bromance” moment stretched on a little too long. Both men started when you cleared throat. Maybe they had forgotten you were still standing there with your arms crossed over your chest.
“And what, exactly, about this morning was so rough?” you asked frostily.
The look Jim and Tony exchanged that time was different—more raised eyebrows and frowning—but equally infuriating.
“What aren’t you telling me?” This question you directed at your husband. “I came out all this way to find out what’s been going on, so one of you had better spit it out.”
“Or what?” asked Tony.
“Tony, I think she’s serious,” Jim said.
“So am I. Is not knowing really grounds for a divorce? I’m just weighing our options here.”
With an aggrieved sigh, Jim shoved Tony out of his immediate personal bubble. Tony must not have wanted to keep their shared secret too badly, because he did nothing to prevent Jim from taking a deep breath and saying:
“Tony’s got me doing some…experimental physical therapy.”
Well,that wasn’t a comforting explanation. “So you’re a physical therapist now?” you asked.
“Among other things,” Tony said.
“Look.”
You could not ignore Jim’s soft request. Instead of firing back at Tony as you so badly wanted to, you returned your attention to your husband. He tapped at a glowing blue circle about halfway down his thigh. From that light sprouted a complicated system of pulleys and joints and even more lights that sprawled across Jim’s legs and hips. So eager had you been to see him alive and moving that you hadn’t even noticed this addition to his body.
“Tony made these for me,” he said. “Without them, I wouldn’t be able to walk at all.”
Your mouth opened. Your mouth closed. Again. Again. Again. Still unable to think of any way to express your thoughts on the matter, you raised your head to look at Tony. You were surprised to find his brown eyes shining when they met your gaze.
“We’re still working out the kinks. Rhodey is—” Tony coughed a few times, then went on, “Rhodey is amazing. He’s doing great. Really great. I’m just trying to get the braces up to his speed.”
“We’re both getting there. Together.”
Tony shook his head, unwilling to accept Jim’s encouragement. His eyes and yours were trained on each other like magnets. “You weren’t supposed to show up until he was perfect. That’s why I didn’t call. I wanted to give him back to you good as new.”
“Tony…” Jim began, but once more Tony waved him off.
“I owe you both at least that much.”
Neither you nor Tony seemed able to figure out what to say to each other after that. At least you finally managed to break eye contact. He looked back at Jim, tried to smile, failed, and awkwardly stuck his hands in the front pockets of his pants. You turned your head to blink rapidly at the wall, cleared your throat again, and tried not to cry. After struggling to find words to say to Tony for another minute or so, you gave up and went back to Jim instead.
“You really think this is what you need? Not rehab at an actual hospital?” you asked.
He didn’t miss a beat. “I trust Tony. This is what I want to do.”
Normally, Tony would have taken this compliment and rubbed it in your face until it ground to dust. That day he didn’t react at all. Didn’t blink. Didn’t grin. Didn’t so much as offer a single quip. He seemed to be waiting for you to make the next move. His behavior threw you off, and the more you thought about it, the more you realized just how little Tony was acting like himself at all. The whole catastrophe with Steve—and Jim’s injury—must have really rattled him.
Then it hit you: Jim wasn’t just staying here for his own sake; he could never be that selfish. Tony needed Jim just then just as badly as Jim needed Tony. You couldn’t tear him away.
“Fine,” you said.
“Fine?” Tony echoed.
“What’s fine?” Jim asked.
“You can stay. I won’t drag you off to the nearest VA like I was planning to.”
“You won’t?” A hopeful note crept into Tony’s voice.
“Really?” said Jim.
“Really,” you answered.
They both cheered. If you’d given them the time, you suspected they might have actually embraced. You did not give them the time, however. Tony could change his mind just as quickly as you, so you needed to get things arranged as soon as possible. Neither he nor Jim noticed you taking a step away from them, but they couldn’t fail to hear you say:
“Just let me go get my bags out of the car.”
You made a beeline for the door you’d come through before either of them could register what you said. Such ringing silence could not last. No sooner had you placed your hand on the door handle than did Tony shake off the lingering shock.
“Wait. No one said anything about you staying,” he said as he came after you. “No, no. This is a secure facility! I’m sure we can find you a nice hotel nearby if you really feel you need to—”
“Tony,” said Jim.
“She’s not an Avenger!”
“Yeah, and neither are we much these days.”
Then Jim tried to get to his feet. It looked more to you like he was having a seizure. His feet scuffed against the floor while his fingers grasped the edge of the chair he sat on. Very slowly and very arduously, he finally managed to stand. You held everything you had inside you very, very still to prevent yourself from running over to him and helping him over to Tony’s side. He got there all on his own several agonizing minutes later. There he clapped Tony on the shoulder and shot him a tired smile.
“Besides, you knew when [Name] and I got married, she’d always be part of the package deal,” he said.
Tony’s lips pursed together at that. They squirmed for a long time. At last, without bothering to so much as look in your direction, he said, “Fine. She can stay.”
“Thanks, Tony.”
“But you have to say in the wing where we house the orphaned SHIELD agents!” Tony’s call followed you out of the compound and back onto the lot where your rental car sat waiting.
“Tony—” Jim began in a warning tone.
The door shutting behind you prevented you from hearing the quarrel that surely followed. Those two were always like that, especially when it came to you. As you hefted your two suitcases from the car’s trunk, though, you found you didn’t care. You didn’t care about having to listen to Jim and Tony argue until they were blue in the faces or drunk. You didn’t care about the fights you and Tony would get into when he inevitably got bored and started picking on you. You didn’t even care that it looked as though you and your husband would not be returning to your home in California soon or ever at all.
No, all you felt in that moment was grateful. Tony Stark might have put a lot of stock into the work of his own hands, modern architecture, and flashy tech—but he put more stock into his friendship with you and with Jim.
Pairing: Princess!Reader x Cinderella!Bucky Summary: A/B/O!AU. Female!Reader is an Omega. Alphas and Omegas are rare, and Reader’s been able to avoid alphas through sheer force of will and luck in equal parts. Warnings: verbal abuse and physical abuse [of Bucky] Word Count: ~8,622 A/N:If I was pissed that By Chance was deleted, I’m just plain confused on why this was deleted. I don’t think it even has any sexual scenes.
You knew that when your father, the King, summoned you, whatever he had to say wasn’t going to be pleasant. You’d been dodging suitors and making excuses for being unable to meet eligible foreign dignitaries for years, and it was only a matter of time until your father had had enough.
“You will show up to the ball. You will choose a suitor from the bachelors invited. And you will do your duty as this country’s princess,” your father said forcefully, eyeing you angrily from his spot on the other side of his study’s extravagant desk.
You weren’t going to give into your father’s demands. There was no way you’d sell yourself to the highest bidder; you’d met enough Lords to know they were all power-hungry sharks just looking for a chance at the crown matrimonial.
You had to put up some show of resistance, or he’d suspect you were up to something.
“Father, I am not some pawn to be cast off as you see fit! I am my own woman and I can rule this country on my own!” you said defiantly. “I have been tutored on how to best lead this country from the moment I learned how to speak! I alone can-”
“That is enough!” the king roared, standing suddenly as he slammed his hands on the table, anger twisting his face until he was almost unrecognizable to the man who raised you. “I tire of your insolence, daughter! You should have been married off years ago, but it is only because of my and your mother’s love for you that you have been allowed to remain unwed this long. Our retainers- nay, our people- will not respect a queen with no king or king consort!” he said, spittle flying from his lips in his unbridled fury. “You will find a man to marry at the ball tonight, or I will choose a different successor to ensure a stable line of succession,” he said venomously.
You hung your head in mock contriteness, eyes trained on the ground. You hadn’t been expecting him to threaten your birthright, but you supposed it wasn’t that surprising. You knew that your father cared more about securing his bloodline than he did about you. “I’m sorry, father. I will… try my best to find a suitable bachelor,” you said penitently, curtsying gracefully to him.
“I expect you to make the declaration of who you will marry by the end of the ball,” he warned, making your stomach plummet to your feet. Not only did you have to marry some backstabbing Lord of the court, you had, at most, a single night to get to know him first.
“I will return to my chambers and review the portraits of my potential suitors and have Lord Barton help me review their backgrounds. By your leave, of course, your majesty,” you said placatingly, once again curtsying deeply.
You felt his gaze bore through you, looking for any signs of dissent or trickery.
He seemed to find none, though. “That is acceptable. You may leave,” he said coldly.
“Your majesty,” you said benevolently, finally rising from your curtsy to leave the room.
The second the doors to your room closed behind you, you burst into action. You knew you couldn’t leave; you wanted the crown. You wanted to do right by your people which, in your eyes, meant not marrying any of the corrupt men that wanted your hand in marriage.
You tore at the strings and lace binding your dress to you, nearly ripping the dress in your haste to tear it from your body.
You had so little time, now; So little freedom left. If you were going to be engaged tonight, you were sure as hell going to make the most of the day.
There was a quiet rap at the door, causing you to freeze halfway out of your elegant gown and look at it in horror. If your father-
“May I enter, your highness?” came a tentative voice at the door.
You sighed in relief. “Yes, Wanda. Come in,” you said quickly, ducking behind your bed in case someone happened to peek in the room when Wanda entered.
As soon as she’d shut the doors you were in front of her, gown hanging off of you, eyes wild. She nearly squeaked in fear, but you clapped a hand over her mouth. “Wanda, I need a favor,” you said hastily.
Twenty minutes later you were in the stables, dressed in castle servant’s clothes.
You glanced around and were relieved to find it empty; apparently everyone had either finished riding for the day or were out. Either way, it meant you wouldn’t be interrupted.
You walked down the line of stalls, stopping in front of the one you needed. The name “Havel” was etched into a sign on the door with painstaking detail.
“Hey boy,” you said affectionately.
The lovely dapple grey in the stall perked his head up immediately at the sound of your voice, inquisitive ears pointed directly at you.
A low nicker left his lips as he walked up to the gate of stall, obviously excited to see you.
You laughed at that and pulled out the apple you had stashed in your pocket, throwing it into his feed bucket attached to the inside wall. He immediately started munching on it while you unlocked the stall door and grabbed the saddle. A quick pet revealed he’d already been groomed and you sighed in relief; the less time you spent on the castle grounds, the more time you could spend enjoying your last day as a free woman.
“Alright, Havel. It took me a while, but I think I finally-”
You froze, eyes wide in shock, at the stable boy’s sudden intrusion.
“You can’t be in here! That’s the princess’ horse!” the stable boy, Peter, said loudly, obviously alarmed.
“Shh! Peter! It’s me,” you said, pulling your hood back a bit so he could see your face more easily in the dim light.
“Oh, my goodness! Princess! I’m so sorry!” he said, bowing frantically, bridle still clutched in his hand.
“Peter! Not so loud! Please!” you hissed, glancing worriedly around the barn.
“Sorry, sorry. Here’s his bridle. It was rubbing him a bit so I adjusted it; it should fit perfectly now!” he said, still bent over double in a bow, eyes trained on the ground as he thrust his hand forward, holding the bridle out to you.
“Thank you, Peter. I’ll be back in a while, but you didn’t see me here, understand?” you said, quickly easing the bridle onto Havel.
Peter looked up at you worriedly, but nodded. “Have a safe journey, princess,” he said, standing back so you could lead Havel out of his stall.
You smiled at him as you passed. “I will.”
You and Havel set a brisk pace and made it to the village about fifteen minutes later, hood shadowing your face so it was less likely people would recognize you. You dropped him off at the local stable for a short while, dropping the stable master a small handful of coppers for the trouble.
You set off to explore the town, simply enjoying being among your people without being recognized. It was nice to know you were loved, but you like seeing them as they were every day, and not just on festivals and special occasions.
Yes, you preferred your everyday citizens to the rich, pompous nobles at court any day. By and large they were hard-working, passionate, and kind people and every time you were among them the knowledge that you would lead them one day weighed heavily on you; you never wanted to let them down.
According to your father, though, you were doing just that by not marrying.
You shook your head, trying to clear it of all the dark thoughts about the ball and your impending marriage. When you looked up you realized you’d never been to this part of town before. Here, there was more room between houses; yards were grander and the houses more opulent. You sighed; getting lost hadn’t been part of your plan today.
You resigned yourself to wandering around until you spotted a familiar street, enjoying the scenery as you walked.
You hadn’t made it more than a few steps when a deep melody reached your ears.
“A dream is a wish your heart makes,
When you’re fast asleep…”
You followed the source of the noise, curious. Whoever was singing had a beautiful voice, but he also sounded so… sad.
“In dreams you lose your heartaches,
Whatever you wish for you keep…”
As you walked you looked into houses’ windows, craned your neck to see past hedges, and even hefted yourself on top of stone walls in search of the mystery singer.
You knew you were headed in the right direction; the singing was only growing louder and, with it, your curiosity.
“Have faith in your dreams and someday,
Your sun will come smiling through…”
It was when you peeked over the wall of the last house on the street that you finally spotted him.
Although the garden was tiny, it was well-maintained and could rival even parts of the royal gardens in its beauty. There, in the center, was your mystery singer. You glimpsed him through the trellises as he worked, shoulder-length brown hair tied back in a messy bun. Although he was wearing ratty peasant clothes, it wasn’t hard to spot the handsome man underneath the layers of dirt.
“No matter how your heart is grieving…”
You realized, then, why it was so quiet. The birds and small critters of the woods were all watching him work, charmed by his song. He trimmed trees with loving care, assessed all the plots for weeds, and placed down new fertilizer.
“If you keep on believing…”
He stood, wiping his brow, and smeared dirt all over his it. He looked around, surveying his handiwork, song falling easily from his lips.
“The dream that you wish will-”
His steel blue eyes met yours and his melody stopped abruptly, the magic his voice had been working ending abruptly. He stared at you, shocked, trowel clattering to the ground loud enough to scare the critters away.
“I’m sorry! Your singing was so beautiful! I didn’t mean to spy!” you said quickly, standing up straight now that you’d been caught.
He studied you warily, blue eyes drinking in every inch of you. He must have realized he was staring because he looked away suddenly, as though the bush next to him was the most interesting thing in the world.
“It’s alright…” he said tentatively, fingers nervously playing with the hem of his shirt. “I just thought you might be my step brother, at first,” he said nervously.
“Sorry, just me!” you said, smiling broadly. “This garden is beautiful. Do you take care of it all on your own?” you asked curiously, openly studying it with interest. He seemed to swell with a bit of pride at your compliments.
“Yes. The house, too,” he said, shyly pointing to the mansion behind him.
“Wait, you take care of this garden and that giant house? By yourself?” you asked, gaze returning to him, disbelief clear on your face.
He seemed to think he’d said too much, stumbling over his next words. “My step father is a busy man, and my step brother is learning how to run the family business under his tutelage. I… they ask me to take care of the house and garden,” he said quickly.
“My name is Ella,” you lied easily. You didn’t feel like giving him your real name in case he recognized you. “What’s yours?”
“James, my lady. Though my mother always called me Bucky.”
“How does one get ‘Bucky’ from James?” you asked, smiling curiously.
“It’s from my middle name, Buchanan,” he said sheepishly.
“Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, James,” you said, grinning shyly. However, you still had questions. “It seems your step father is quite wealthy. Surely he could afford a couple of people to tend to the house and garden so that you could also learn how to help run your family business?” you said, crossing your arms as your mind worked. Something wasn’t quite right with his story.
“We’re not as well off as we seem, I’m afraid. At least, that’s what he tells me. I haven’t been allowed to look at my family’s books in years.”
“Wait, it’s your family’s business, not your step father’s? What about your mother? Surely she must have something to say about him cutting you out of the management of it,” you said brows furrowed in confusion.
He shifted uncomfortably. “She passed on when I was still a child. She fell ill after marrying my step father, and passed on only a year after saying ‘I do’.” he said sadly, gaze flicking away from you as he was assaulted with painful memories.
“Oh! I’m so sorry. That was terribly rude of me!” you said hurriedly, heart twisting painfully in your chest at the hurt you saw in his eyes.
He smiled, melancholy, at your apology. “It’s alright. You had no way of knowing,” he said reassuringly. He paused before he looked back up at you, a puzzled look on his face. “I’m not sure why I’m telling you all of this,” he chuckled lightly, the sound sending a thrill through you.
You couldn’t help but smile back. “People always say I look like I have a trustworthy face. Can’t get them to stop telling me their deepest, darkest secrets,” you joked, letting out a melodramatic sigh.
He laughed in earnest at that, light pink dusting his cheeks as he responded. “I would have to agree with ‘everyone,’ then,” he said shyly.
You beamed at him, placing your hands flat against the top of the stone wall as you leaned over it. “If you would indulge a bit of selfishness on my part, I would very much like a tour of your garden,” you said earnestly, eyes shimmering with hope. If you were being honest, you also wanted to get closer to him to see if he was as handsome up close as he was from far away.
He looked up and down the street nervously before he looked back at you. As he studied you closely he seemed to make up his mind. He nodded and moved towards the gate, likely intending to open it for you, but you simply vaulted over it, deftly avoiding the lovely plots of flowers on the other side.
“That works, too,” he said, smiling at you.
“Do you enjoy working in the garden, at least?” you asked, as you walked over to him, surreptitiously glancing at him as you studied the plants around you. He was, indeed, just as attractive up close.
He seemed to consider your question a moment, head tilting adorably to the side, gloved fingers absently running over the leaves of the vines next to him. “I enjoy it more than cleaning the house. At least out here I have the company of the animals,” he said quietly. You nodded, but your mind mulled his answer over.
The two of you walked the garden together for some time. He knew the name of every plant and exactly how to take care of it to make it as healthy as possible. The two of you talked about the town once you ran out of plants, but you carefully avoided talking about the royal family. Finally, you just had to ask.
“Why don’t you leave? You don’t seem to be very happy here?” you asked quietly, eyes searching his face.
He sighed, shoulders slumping slightly as he looked around, gaze lingering on the house. “This place is all I have left of my mother. I couldn’t leave it to my Step father and brother,” he said, hint of bitterness creeping into the sadness of his voice. His gaze seemed so far away.
“I suppose I can understand that,” you said, reaching out to place a hand gently onto his arm. His gaze snapped back to you, startled, and you hesitantly removed your hand, afraid you’d upset him. “Not wanting to leave something because you care so much about it, even when staying hurts, too.”
He nodded slowly, a tender smile that made your heart flutter in your chest appearing on his face. “Yes, exactly.”
The two of you stood there, frozen in the moment, before it was shattered by a loud, angry voice from the other side of the house; whoever it was seemed to be on the street, just out of sight
“Cinderbucky! Your brother and I are home! Come take our horses at once! The King has announced a ball where all eligible bachelors of the kingdom are invited and at the end of the night the princess will announce who she’s to marry! We must prepare for your brother to attend at once!” the step father yelled, just out of your line of sight.
He turned to run towards the source of the noise “I’m sorry! I must go, or-”
“James, wait!” The thought of never seeing him again bothered you greatly, but you didn’t want to look too closely at why. “Go to the ball! I work at the castle! I… I wish to see you again!” you said hopefully, lying through your teeth. You don’t know why you continued to lie about your position, other than that you were afraid he’d be blinded by your status.
He looked at you, wide grin spreading across his lips. “I will be there, then,” he promised, though he knew it was easier said than done. “You must go now, though, before they see you!” he urged, head swiveling in fear as his step father yelled angrily again. He seemed torn, but ran away, one of his shoes flying off in his haste. He didn’t even pause to go back for it.
An idea hit you then, and you took the shoe carefully from the ground. While obviously old, he seemed to take good care of it. You shoved it under your cloak before you turned and headed to the edge of the gardens.
With one last lingering look, you spun and vaulted over the stone fence. You ran a short distance before you turned around, but James was no longer in the garden. You sighed, glancing at the fading light in the sky. You’d spent more time with James than you’d thought and you needed to get back soon or risk facing the wrath of your father.
“What on earth are you talking about?” Your father sputtered.
“What I said, father. I’ll marry the man whose foot fits into this shoe,” you said dismissively, holding it up nonchalantly.
“That is a peasants shoe! You’ll do nothing but insult our guests by making them try it on!” he raged, glaring at the shoe as though it had just committed high treason.
“If they are not willing to try on a shoe for a chance at the crown, then they are fools,” you said bluntly. “And I promise that if no one fits it, I will choose a suitor anyway.” It pained you to say it, but you knew it was the only way to placate him.
He leaned back in his chair, mouth working dangerously as he bit back an onslaught of unsavory things, mustache twitching violently below his nose. “Fine! If this farce is what it takes you to willingly marry a man, then so be it!” he said, throwing up his hands in exasperation. “Now, go get ready! the guests will be arriving in an hour.”
“By your leave, majesty,” you said, curtsying deeply as you made a hasty exit from his study.
You walked quickly back to your room and opened the doors, expecting to see Wanda, but it was Natasha, instead. You loved Natasha, but Wanda was your favorite lady in waiting. Even though you coached your face back into one of polite neutrality, she’d seen you look of disappointment.
“I know. I’m not Wanda. I’m sorry. She had urgent business to attend to and asked me to fill in for her in helping you get dressed tonight,” she said quietly, motioning to the elegant and intricate blue gown you hadn’t noticed a moment before.
“It’s beautiful!” you said, awestruck.
“Wanda made it for you, specially for tonight. She only finished recently. The second she heard the rumors she sprung into action. She can’t be with you right now in person, but her spirit is here with you anyway,” Natasha said, fondly.
“You’re right, Natasha,” you said, smiling at her. You were always thankful of the way she was able to see the other side of things.
“Now, let’s get you ready for your big night!”
Bucky’s POV
“What took you so long, boy?” Pierce spat as he dismounted.
“Probably singing to all of those stupid animals again,” Brock said venomously as he hopped off his horse.
“Put the horses away and prepare our finest suits immediately. Brock is going to become a prince tonight!” Pierce said proudly, gazing down at his son.
“Yes, father,” Bucky said, quickly following his step father’s orders. The quicker he got them ready the faster they’d leave and he could get himself ready to see Ella again. He was invited to the ball, after all, as an eligible bachelor. He knew he wouldn’t catch the princess’ eye. Not in one of Brock’s older suits that didn’t fit him quite right, but he wouldn’t show up in the rags he wore while he worked. Just for a night he wanted to be a man a beautiful woman like Ella would be proud to be seen with.
As soon as he’d put the horses to pasture he ran into the house, quickly preparing Pierce and Brock’s best suits while they washed up.
Two hours later it was getting dark and the ball was looming closer by the minute. Pierce and Brock were dressed to the nines. Bucky had outdone himself tonight, eager to make them happy so that he might be able to ride with them to the ball. They were waiting downstairs for the carriage to arrive when Bucky came down, dressed as nicely as he could and, for once, mostly devoid of any dirt.
The second Pierce saw him, his face contorted with fury.
“What are you wearing, boy?” he spat. Bucky cringed and froze on the bottom step.
“I- I was hoping I could go to the ball. All the bachelors in the kingd-”
“You’re not going, you imbecile!” Pierce said as he stormed over to him. Bucky didn’t have time to brace himself before his head whipped to the side, cheek stinging from Pierce’s back-handed slap. “The princess would never look at you! You’re an embarrassment to your step-brother!” he raged. To Bucky’s horror, Pierce reached up and ripped the sleeve almost completely off of his dress coat. Pierce wasn’t done though, and Brock cheered on from his spot in the foyer.
“Aww! Little Cinderbucky wanted to go to the ball! How sweet!” he crooned, face twisted with malevolent amusement at the scene in front of him. “But clumsy him! He ripped his jacket!” Brock said, cackling.
Pierce ripped apart the white dress shirt, buttons flying in every direction.
“You’re a fool, boy! You’re lucky we’re in a hurry, or I would teach you another lesson!” he spat, tugging down the left side of the shirt and jacket to reveal the edges of the ugly scars that continued all the way down his arm to the very tips of his fingers. Bucky nearly shook at the threat, but somehow remained standing.
“This house will be spotless by the time we return! And if you ever make another mistake like this again, you’ll be wishing it was only an arm,” Pierce said dangerously, eyes glinting with malice.
“Yes, father. I understand,” he said weakly.
“The carriage is here, father,” Brock said, still staring at Bucky with condescension. “Enjoy your night, Cinderbucky,” he sneered.
As if to add insult to injury, Pierce spat on Bucky before turning to walk to the door.
The second the door was shut, Bucky sank onto the stairs, head in his hands and he tried to hold back the tears. He didn’t hear the door open and only realized there was someone else in the room when a pair of boots appeared in his line of vision.
He looked up, startled, to see a man standing there. His blond hair seemed to almost shine in the light and his eyes were even bluer than Bucky’s.
“We don’t have time for moping, friend. We need to get you all fixed up for the ball,” he said by way of greeting. Bucky looked at the man, bewildered.
“I’m sorry, but… who- who are you?” he asked, nerves frayed from the roller coaster of emotion that was today.
“Hmm… a friend?” the blond man said, smiling down at Bucky as he extended his hand. Bucky looked at it for a moment, unsure, before he took it. “A friend of mine told me about your situation and I just had to help,” he said, patting Bucky comfortingly on the shoulder. “I’m a little upset I couldn’t get to you sooner, but… we mustn’t dwell on the past! Your life is changing, starting today!” he said cheerfully. “Go check upstairs!”
When Bucky didn’t move and simply stared at him, Steve sighed, and made shooing motions. “Go! Hurry up! The ball is starting soon!” Steve said urgently.
The mention of the ball seemed to startle Bucky into action. With one last confused look at the man in front of him, he went upstairs to his tiny room, opening the door slowly in trepidation.
There, in the center of his room, was the single most stunning suit he’d ever seen. The jacket was pure white with silver embroidery. The shirt beneath it was a gorgeous baby blue with the same silver thread as the jacket. The pants were the same snowy color as the jacket with accents that matched the shirt. Shining black knee-high boots completed the outfit; they were so well polished that they shone like glass. It even came with a pair of white gloves.
“Wow…” he murmured, as he walked towards it. He reached out to it, faltering before he touched it, scared it’d disappear as soon as he touched it or that his hand would go straight through it. He didn’t have to try it on to know it would fit him perfectly.
“Yeah, she really did a great job, didn’t she?” said the man from the doorway. Bucky jumped, letting out an undignified yelp of surprise, and turned to face the man.
“This… this is for me?” he asked, pointing to it over his shoulder with his thumb.
“All yours, friend. Now, get changed. We’re short on time,” he said with a smile as he shut Bucky’s door.
Ten minutes later Bucky emerged from his room, marveling at how the suit hugged him in all the right places, accentuating his best features.
The mysterious blond man was waiting at the bottom of the stairs and beamed at Bucky when he appeared at the top of them.
“All ready to go, then?” he asked, admiring his handiwork.
“I… I think so,” Bucky said nervously as he made his way down the stairs, resisting the urge to run his fingers through his hair, which he’d tied into a small ponytail at the back of his neck.
“One second, you’ve got just a bit…” the mystery man muttered, bringing his thumb up to swipe a smudge of dirt off of Bucky’s cheek. “There, perfect. Now, the carriage is outside waiting!”he said, motioning grandly to the doorway.
“Carriage?” Bucky asked, glancing at the doorway.
“What, did you think we’d make you walk there, or something?” the man asked, grinning.
Bucky looked confusedly from the door to the man and back. “Who… are you?”
“Not important, Buck. Now, go get the girl!” he said, giving Bucky a gentle but firm shove towards the door.
Bucky wanted to press him for an answer, but he was right. Time was slipping away. He had to get to that ball.
What he saw when he opened the door made him stop. Not only was there a carriage, it was extravagant. Four white horses pulled the highly decorated thing and there wasn’t just a driver but also two servants on the back, and two more men were waiting just ahead of it on white horses of their own.
This was an entourage fit for a prince or a wealthy lord, not the cleaning wretch of a lesser noble.
One of the servants hopped off the back and lowered the small step built into the underside and opened the door a half second later.
“Your carriage awaits, sir,” he said gesturing grandly to it.
Bucky swallowed nervously, taking a few hesitant steps towards it, expecting any second for his step father and brother to pop out and punish him for his shameless hoping. When he stepped inside and the door shut securely behind him, he breathed out a sigh he didn’t realize he’d been holding in.
With a gentle jolt, the carriage was off towards the royal castle.
Your POV
You sighed as yet another suitor approached your dais.
“Your highness,” the older man began, bowing deeply. “It is an honor to be in your presence. We’re so thankful for your invitation to the ball tonight. Allow me to introduce my son, Brock.”
You thought you’d recognized his voice the moment he started speaking, but the second he said his son’s name your suspicions were confirmed. You tried to fight back the grimace you felt creeping onto your face at their presence.
Brock stepped forward, the sharp lines of his face contorted into a slimy smile. “Princess. You look absolutely stunning. Truly all the stars in the heavens must be jealous of your beauty,” he said unctuously, bowing deeply as he took your hand and placed a sloppy kiss onto your rings.
“Thank you for coming. I take it you’ve heard of my new request?” you said, gently but firmly tugging your hand from his grasp to gesture to the shoe sitting on the cushion beside you. “Any who fit it have the opportunity to dance with me tonight.”
“Yes, of course, highness,” Brock said, bowing his head in acknowledgement. “May I?” he asked, gesturing to the shoe.
“That is why it is there, Rick,” you said, patronizingly. Brock’s smile faltered for a moment at your tone and the fact that you got his name wrong, but to his credit he held it together, sitting down in the provided chair to try on the shoe.
And boy, did he try. He sat there for probably thirty seconds, trying to squeeze his heel into it, but to no avail.
“I do not believe it fits you, sir,” you said pointedly.
Both Brock and his father looked at you, their stubbornness plain on their faces, but one look at the guards standing beside you seemed to change their minds about arguing. Brock set the shoe back down a little harder than he had to and put his own back on. They both bowed deeply, their oily smiles not quite enough to hide the anger behind their eyes.
“Thank you for coming, gentlemen,” you said by way of dismissal, inclining your head slightly to them. They stalked off, straight for the table that held all of the food. It seems they would try to get their revenge by eating half the food in the hall.
“Have someone keep an eye on them,” you told your guard, Steven, surreptitiously, eyeing them coldly.
He nodded. “Understood, princess,” he said quietly, signaling one of your other guards, Clinton, with discreet hand motions to keep an eye on those two. You didn’t know exactly where he was, but you knew he was around somewhere. He was nicknamed Hawkeye for a reason; he worked better from a distance.
You went through countless suitors like that. Some fit the shoe and were added to the list of people you would dance with later in the night, but none of them were James. You hoped he would come. You had Natasha on the lookout for him in the servants’ areas and directed her to send him up immediately if he showed up. As time passed, though, it seemed less and less likely that he would show, and you had to bite back your disappointment.
“Princess,” Steve said softly in your ear, jerking you out of your troubled thoughts. “Look,” he said, pointing to the entrance of the castle on the opposite side of the room from you.
Everyone else in the room was looking, too. Every head was turned to see who had just entered, a wave of whispers breaking out among the crowd.
He was easily the most stunningly handsome man in the room, putting every other man in attendance to shame.
Your heart beat wildly in your chest.
James. It was James. Even from across the hall you could see his bright steel blue eyes searching for you; the servant Ella, not the princess (Y/N). His gaze slid over you as though you weren’t there and you had to fight how much that hurt. He looked divine in his white and blue suit; completely different but just as amazing as the dirty, down-to-earth man you’d met earlier.
“Make sure he comes up here,” you told Steven urgently. Steve nodded, giving your other guard, who everyone affectionately called “Rhodey,” a nod before he disappeared in the swarm of people.
Bucky’s POV
Bucky weaved between the other guests nervously, aware of how many people were staring. He wished they wouldn’t; He was already nervous enough as it was. He was about to sneak out of the main hall when a hand on his arm stopped him.
His gaze snapped to the man attached to said hand and he nearly shouted in surprise. It was the mystery man.
“You!” he said, trying his best not to yell.
“Me!” Steve said jovially, dropping his arm. “Your girl’s not in there, lover boy. And I have to insist that you come with me. Every eligible bachelor must meet the princess today,” he said with a wink.
“But Ella-”
“Trust me, Bucky,” Steve said, earnest smile on his face.
Bucky looked between Steve and the doorway, torn. Steve hadn’t led him wrong before, but meeting the princess would take away from time he could be using to be with Ella.
But it wasn’t every day you got to meet a princess, right? Maybe he’d be able to meet two in one day; Ella was a princess in his eyes.
“Fine,” he conceded. Steve beamed and led Bucky to the far part of the room where the princess was meeting suitors. There was a long line of men waiting for a chance to talk to the princess, but Steve literally shoved Bucky to the front of the line.
Bucky protested weakly, not wanting to offend all of the powerful men in the room, but one look at the princess made the rest of his protests die in his throat.
Even though she was wearing an elegant blue dress and her hair and makeup were done to perfection, there was no mistaking the woman in front of him, even though the last time he saw her she’d been in peasant’s clothing.
“Ella,” he breathed, awestruck at the vision of beauty in front of him.
You were beaming at him, but seemed to remember yourself, coaching your expression back into a slightly more subdued smile. His feet moved of their own accord, stepping up onto the dais upon which your throne sat.
Suddenly remembering etiquette, he stopped just out of your reach, bowing deeply, eyes on the ground. “Your highness,” he said quietly, amazed.
“And you are?” you asked politely. James looked up suddenly, hurt you didn’t recognize him, but you were smiling playfully at him, eyes shining with happiness.
Ah, you did recognize him. “James Buchanan Barnes, princess,” he said, gently taking your hand in his gloved fingers to place a tender kiss on your knuckles. The difference between his kiss and Brock’s was night and day. Your heart fluttered in your chest, and it took everything in you to keep calm.
“Have you heard about the request I’ve made of all of the suitors here tonight?” you asked as he released your hand. You immediately missed his touch.
“No, your highness,” he said, brows furrowed in confusion.
“The man I choose to marry will be able to fit into this shoe,” you said, gesturing to his shoe where it sat on the cushion just a few feet away.
He looked to where you were motioning and when he saw his own shoe sitting there on the pillow it didn’t click right away what was happening.
Then, it hit like a tone of bricks.
He turned back to you, eyes wide in shock. “You mean-”
You held up a hand, gently silencing any questions. “Please, try it on,” you said earnestly, a knowing smile on your lips.
He gulped and took a seat on the opulent chair, removing his right boot carefully.
He’d been wondering where his other shoe had gotten to. He guessed he had his answer now.
He didn’t realize how quiet the room had gotten, too engrossed in the task in front of him. But you and everyone else in the room was watching him closely.
He looked up at you as he slid his shoe on. Although a couple men before him had managed to squeeze it on or walk around without it falling off, it fit him perfectly.
The smile that graced your face was blinding and Bucky couldn’t help but smile back.
“Steven,” you said quietly without taking your eyes off of Bucky.
“Yes, princess?” the blond mystery man said, appearing at your shoulder.
“Alert the musicians. It is time for the first dance,” you said happily. “You may want to put that boot back on,” you said cheekily to Bucky.
“Yes, highness,” Bucky said quickly, smile on his face as he clumsily removed his shoe and tugged the boot back on.
He stood hastily, rushing to your side.
He held his hand out for you to take, nervousness clear on his face.
“I would be honored to have this dance with you, highness,” he said earnestly.
You smiled, taking his hand as you stood. “Please, call me (Y/N),” you said quietly enough that only he could hear. “And it would be my pleasure to dance with you, James.”
He turned a truly adorable shade of pink, nodding slightly. “You can call me Bucky, if you like,” he said as the two of you made your way towards the dance floor.
The guests parted before you, expressions ranging from surprise to anger to awe (you supposed you and Bucky did make a striking pair).
“Bucky, then,” you said fondly as you arrived at the center of the floor and turned to face him. He smiled brilliantly at the sound of his name on your lips.
The music played the prelude and you bowed to each other. You were about to begin dancing when an angry voice rang out in the hall, causing the music to screech to a halt and make everyone’s heads turn towards the source, including yours and Bucky’s.
“You get away from the princess!” Franklin Pierce yelled, storming towards the two of you. Brock trailed after him, face murderous. Bucky placed himself protectively between you and the angry men, but he paled considerably. “I don’t know how on earth you got that outfit, but you won’t defile the princess, swine!” Pierce spat, stomping towards Bucky.
Steve appeared in front of him before he made it within ten steps of you and Bucky, sword drawn and pointed directly at Pierce’s throat. “No closer, sir,” Steve ordered, saying the last word sarcastically.
Pierce looked like he was going to try and deck Steve, but looked past him to level a glare at Bucky.
“You broken piece of garbage. I should have left you to starve after your mother died!”
Buck turned in on himself, shoulder’s and head slumping, and it almost seemed as though he was getting smaller at Pierce’s words. You placed a hand gently on his shoulder, glaring at Pierce.
“Does her highness even know about your disfigurement, you monster?” Pierce asked, malevolent smile on his face.
“Yes, I bet you didn’t show her that, did you, Cinderbucky?” Brock said venomously, sneering down his nose at Bucky.
Bucky glanced behind himself at you, eyes filled with fear and hurt at their words.
“Go on, then. Show her. Show her what you look like under that pretty white jacket!” Brock jeered.
Bucky turned his back on them to face you, eyes dull.
“You don’t have to-”
“Yes, I do,” he said quietly, slowly removing the glove from his left hand. It was better he lose you now than later, he thought.
It was lined with scars from burns and cuts, some looking nearly as old as he was. He rolled his sleeve up as far as it would go, revealing even more angry marks.
“They go up to my shoulder,” he said, tone flat. He was sure you would never look at him again, and he wouldn’t blame you. A beautiful princess like you deserved someone who was as whole and wonderful as you, not some broken, disfigured shell of a man.
He was so engrossed in his thoughts of self hatred that he didn’t realize you were reaching out to touch his arm until your fingers ghosted over the angry, scarred skin. He flinched at the touch, nearly pulling his arm away from you.
“I’m sorry, I should have asked first. Does it hurt?” you asked quietly, eyes swimming with tears. Who would do this to such a kind, gentle man?
He looked at you in confusion. Surely you were crying because of how ugly he was, but your words… your words were kind. Slowly, he shook his head. “Not anymore, highness,” he whispered.
“May I?” you asked, nodding your head towards his arm, fingertips close enough to feel the heat of his skin.
He nodded warily, hope creeping back into his mind unbidden.
Your fingers ghosted over his innumerable scars, a single tear escaping and making a track through your makeup as you contemplated the horrors he likely had to go through to get all of them. He closed his eyes at your gentle touch, a small sigh escaping his lips.
“Did they do this to you?” you asked suddenly. Bucky opened his eyes, meeting your steely gaze.
He swallowed thickly, adam’s apple bobbing nervously. After a moment he nodded, eyes flicking away from you.
Rage ignited inside of you, white hot and all-consuming.
“Steven. Take those ‘guests’ and throw them in the dungeon. I will deal with them later,” you said loudly enough for Steve to hear, gaze never leaving Bucky’s. Bucky looked up at you then, confusion clear on his face.
“Princess-”
“(Y/N),” you corrected him.
He looked at you guiltily. “(Y/N). I… my step father is right. I am a monster. I don’t even deserve to be in your-”
“He is the monster, Bucky,” you said firmly, placing a hand on his left arm gently. The other hand went up to cup his face and he couldn’t help but lean into your touch. “I do not care about the scars you bear. To me, you could not be any more handsome. It is your heart of gold that has swayed me,” you said earnestly, running a thumb over his cheek tenderly.
“Truly?” he asked, barely daring to hope. “You do not mind… this?” he asked, gesturing to his left arm.
You brought his left hand to your lips and placed a gentle kiss to his knuckles, mirroring his actions just a few minutes ago.
“Truly,” you assured him. The smile that graced his face was blinding, making you smile just as widely in return. You vaguely heard Pierce and Brock yelling while they were dragged away by Steve and a couple of other guards, but all of your focus was on the man in front of you. He stared down at you and it was likely only the room full of people (some of whom had pointy metal people-killing sticks) that kept him from embracing you then and there.
The music picked up again, just slightly before it left off, snapping you and Bucky out of that moment.
However, what followed was even better.
He lowered his sleeve but left his glove off and took a half step back, bowing deeply to you, and you curtsied, smile on your lips.
Then, he stepped forward, placing one hand gently on your hip, the other lacing together with your hand. You placed your hand on his shoulder and, just like that, the most magical dance in your entire life started.
The world fell away until it was just him and you on the ballroom floor. Your dress flowed gracefully whenever you spun, mesmerizing every person watching as Bucky expertly guided you around the room. The music swelled and you let out a delighted giggle as he placed both hands around your waist and lifted you in a graceful arc in front of him, earning excited applause from the audience (though you and Bucky didn’t even hear it). As the dance progressed, the space between you lessened until the last few chords of the song rang out and you found yourself pulled to his chest just before he dipped you gracefully backwards, arms holding you securely aloft.
All at once the hall erupted in applause and cheers. Bucky lifted you back upright gently, awestruck smile on his face, as though he couldn’t believe what was happening (he couldn’t). His gaze was momentarily pulled from you by Steve, who was jumping and waving his arms to get Bucky’s attention, just beside you in Bucky’s range of vision.
Once he realized Bucky was looking, he patted his chest frantically in one spot. Bucky raised an eyebrow confused. Steve sighed, slumping over for a half second in annoyance before he straightened again. He pointed to Bucky, then to the same spot on his chest again (this time even more forcefully and… pantomimed pulling something off his chest? Then pointed to Bucky again, eyes wide and frantic. He seemed to be pointing to a specific spot on Bucky’s chest… the same one he’d pointed to on himself.
Bucky looked down. Sure enough, there was a breast pocket on the jacket. With one last confused look to Steve he reached into it, freezing when his hand touched metal.
He looked back at Steve, eyes wide with fear and anxiety. Steve was smiling broadly, giving him an encouraging nod. He could see him mouth the words “do it.”
Bucky looked back at you. The exchange with Steve had lasted a few seconds at most, but for Bucky it felt like it had been minutes. You were still smiling up at him as though he was the moon and stars themselves.
“(Y/N),” he said slowly, causing one of your brows to quirk in question.
“Yes, Bucky?” you asked cautiously, confused by his sudden change in tone.
“Do you believe in love at first sight?” he asked, all caution thrown to the wind. He wore his heart on his sleeve and trusted you not to break it.
You beamed at him, nodding vigorously. “Yes, I do.”
His heart thudded in his chest and he severely hoped he could make you say that word again. Slowly, he sunk to one knee, holding your two hands in one of his large ones. Without taking his eyes off of you, he pulled the ring out of his pocket, inwardly balking at the giant rock set into the center.
“Princess (Y/N), you would make me the luckiest and happiest man alive if you would do me the honor of being my wife,” he said earnestly, eyes alight with hope and adoration.
To his surprise you sunk down in front of him, throwing your arms around his neck.
“Yes! Yes, I will! I will gladly be your wife!” you said, pulling back enough so you could smile at him, happy tears making tracks down your face.
Bucky laughed along with you, happy smile lighting up every inch of the room as he slid the ring onto your finger (it fit perfectly, of course). You smiled at it, then at him, cheeks heating with all of the excitement.
Around you, your people cheered. Their princess was finally getting married.
Then Bucky did the one thing he’d wanted to do since the moment he met you. He pulled you in for a gentle but passionate kiss. It was everything you wanted it to be; your lips melded together perfectly as his arms wound around your waist. Your arms found their way around his shoulders and you lost yourself in his kiss and the feeling of him against you.
“Ahem,” came a stern voice from next to you.
You broke apart, startled, and looked at the newcomer.
“Your majesty!” Bucky said, abruptly standing to bow to your father. His gaze turned back to you, harried, and he quickly helped you to your feet.
“Father!” you said warily. You placed a hand on Bucky’s arm and he slowly straightened up, eyes darting from you to him nervously.
The king studied Bucky critically, eyes narrowed as he took in every detail.
“This is the man you wish to marry?” he asked, voice carefully neutral.
“Yes, father,” you said quickly, reaching down to lace your fingers with Bucky’s. You gave him a reassuring squeeze.
“Your majesty, I wish to marry your daughter. Please-”
The king held up a hand and Bucky’s words quickly died in his throat. He studied the both of you, gaze lingering on your interwoven fingers.
“What is your name?” the king asked coldly.
“James Buchanan Barnes, your majesty,” he said quickly. To his credit, he didn’t quail under the king’s gaze. He stood tall and proud next to you.
The king stared at him for a few moments longer, gaze unreadable. Then, all at once, he let out a great sigh and turned his back on the two of you.
You were about to reach out and stop him, protests on the tip of your tongue, when he spoke again. “Let it be known across the kingdom. In one week’s time, my daughter Princess (Y/full/N) and James Buchanan Barnes shall be wed in holy matrimony!” he proclaimed to the assembled guests.
Immediately, the hall erupted in cheers. It took you and Bucky the same amount of time to process his words, gazes snapping from the king to each other in unison, matching smiles of surprised happiness on your face.
You jumped into his arms and he caught you, spinning you around as you both laughed happily. You kissed him again, knowing now that you would be happy for the rest of your days with him by your side.
Clint: THE FLOOR IS LAVA! Rhodey: [helps Tony onto the counter] Loki: [pushes Thor off the sofa] Natasha: [to Sam] As you can see, there are two types of siblings.
Rhodey wakes in the night in a cold sweat because of the nightmares he has of losing Tony over and over again. If only he flew faster, given him support a little quicker, maybe he would have lived. Maybe if he had used the gauntlet instead, he was older, he would’ve given his life for the cause of saving lives. But the problem was that Tony beat him to it. He sacrificed everything.
Rhodey goes through his days without getting phone calls from Tony asking him to stop over. He goes through his days without yelling Tony’s name into the familiar lab. He goes through his days without having Tony hug him from behind.
But how Rhodey goes through his days making sure Tony’s family feels ok. He goes through his days taking Morgan out and making sure she doesn’t feel sad because her daddy hasn’t ever come home. And he goes through his days constantly trying to live up to what Tony used to be.
But he can’t be Tony. No one can. No one can replace who Tony Stark was. Tony was Rhodey’s best friend, his hero, his brother and everything in between. Rhodey can’t be Tony, not when Tony still lives in the heart of the people and in the heart of James Rhodes.
He’s lost without a best friend. He’s lost without his colleague. He’s lost without his hero. He’s lost without his brother.
Summary: With nowhere else to go, (Y/N), Carina and Bruce await Steve’s arrival at the Avengers Facility in upstate New York and (Y/N) is finally reunited with the super-soldier.
Pairing: Steve Rogers X Reader
Word Count: 4.9k
Warnings/Disclaimers: None
A/N: Okay, folks, time to break out those tissues ‘cause the reunion is finally here! Thank you for reading, I hope you all enjoy!
By the time (Y/N), Carina and Bruce arrived at the Avengers Facility, the late afternoon sunlight was slowly fading into dusk and fatigue from their long day was beginning to settle in; the three of them piled into her Volkswagen Bug parked outside of the Sanctum Sanctorum after Bruce’s brief phone call, with the bulky pram wedged between both adults and held secure by Bruce’s arm during their two hour drive upstate. (Y/N) used that time to tell the scientist everything she hadn’t had the opportunity to earlier, from the events that led to the creation of the Sokovia Accords to the real reason behind Tony and Steve’s falling out. Bruce’s expression was uncharacteristically blank for the majority of the time she spoke and his brown eyes remained fixed on the road ahead, but she could still sense the sadness and disappointment radiating off of him. In the months following the disbanding of the Avengers, she’d often wondered how different the outcome would’ve been if Bruce never disappeared but after being the one to tell him that his second family was no longer a family, she was thankful that he hadn’t been there to witness the breakdown firsthand.
They were stopped at the compound’s front gate and were immediately allowed through once they gave their names to the security guard on duty; Rhodey must be expecting us, she thought with an inward sigh as she parked the car in her old parking spot, switching off the engine and opening the pram to check on Carina. “Did you have a nice nap, Cari?” Her daughter drowsily blinked up at her and (Y/N), knowing that the infant would need to be fed soon, nodded and masked her fatigue with a reassuring smile. “I know you’re hungry, lemon drop, I’ll feed you just as soon as we get inside.”
“Before we raided that last Hydra facility in Sokovia, Tony used to talk about relocating the Avengers somewhere upstate,” Bruce remarked as he helped (Y/N) pull the pram out of the car and took a moment to look around the unfamiliar surroundings. “It’s weird not being at the tower, but the privacy here’s nice.”
She smiled to herself, recalling all the picnics she’d gone on with Steve at their secluded spot overlooking the lake, and they walked up the stone steps leading up to the compound’s private living quarters. Her fingers anxiously fiddled with the frayed edge of her blaster’s shoulder strap as she led the way down the familiar halls, walking into the common room to see James Rhodes watching WHiH World News; the colonel’s arms were crossed over his chest and his frown remained on his face when he turned away from the television to face them. “You two made the evening news.”
Rhodes gestured to the television as it began playing amateur footage of their battle against Cull Obsidian in the middle of a Greenwich Village park. “-shocking cell phone footage shows Tony Stark’s Iron Man fighting one of the alien beings alongside New York City’s own Spider-Man, Doctor Bruce Banner of the Avengers and, to many’s surprise, award-winning historical-fiction novelist and Captain America’s former fiancée (Y/N) (Y/L/N). (Y/L/N) famously called off her engagement to the super-soldier after he violated the Sokovia Accords and was declared a war criminal, and she’s spent the past two years publicly denouncing the document-”
“I guess we made quite a scene, didn’t we?” (Y/N) tried to smile but it resembled more of a grimace.
“Hi, Rhodey.” Beside her, Bruce gave the colonel an awkward wave. “I’m sure you probably have some questions for us-”
“Trust me, I’ve got about a hundred of ‘em,” Rhodes interjected, his eyes softening as he looked them over and lingering for a moment on Carina before meeting their gazes again. “But you guys look like absolute hell right now, so I’ll order us some food while you get washed up and we’ll talk it out over dinner. Does the, um…does the baby need anything?”
It was no secret that (Y/N) and Rhodes didn’t exactly get along; from the moment they’d met, something about the colonel rubbed her the wrong way and she was well-aware that the feeling was mutual. But despite their shared dislike of one another, (Y/N) could’ve cried at the thoughtful and unexpected consideration Rhodes was offering them; instead, she smiled and contemplated his question for a moment before nodding. “Some diapers would be great, and maybe a new onesie? She’s a month old but she’s a little bigger than most one-month-old babies, so whatever size two or three-month-olds wear should be great…thank you, Rhodes.”
The older man acknowledged her gratitude with a small and slightly-awkward smile before turning and grabbing his cell phone from the nearby kitchen counter, and (Y/N) led Bruce down the hallway to the compound’s living quarters; he retreated into Wanda’s old bathroom while (Y/N) cleaned up in Steve’s and fed Carina in his vacant bedroom, a melancholy sigh leaving her as she held the hungry infant in her arms and looked around the room she’d once shared with the super-soldier. It looked exactly the same as it had when she’d taken the last of her things back to her home in D.C., and she felt an aching pang in her chest at the thought of Tony keeping all of his estranged friends’ rooms the same in case they ever came back. He really does miss them all, she tearfully thought to herself, trying her hardest not to imagine the billionaire trapped on the Black Order’s ship in the middle of space with only Stephen and Peter for backup; but she also believed without a shadow of a doubt that if anyone could successfully keep the Time Stone out of Thanos’ hands, it was Tony Stark.
Once Carina was fed and burped, (Y/N) removed her golden-yellow cloak and the rest of her silver Asgardian armor and reached into Steve’s closet for one of his old sweatshirts, slipping it on and smiling a little when she detected the faint scent of his sandalwood cologne. She gathered her daughter back into her arms and chuckled as the infant babbled happily up at her. “Now that your tummy’s nice and full, maybe Mommy can try and eat something…if she’s not too worried about a certain super-soldier, of course,” She quietly added before being struck with a sudden idea. “Do you want to see your daddy, Cari?” The infant cooed and her (Y/E/C) eyes glimmered as her lips curved into a grin reminiscent of her father’s, making (Y/N) giggle in amusement and walk over to the dresser beside the bed; placed around the CD and vinyl record player were several framed photographs, the majority of which were of her and Steve before the Sokovia Accords and the disbandment of the Avengers. “Here he is, lemon drop. What do you think?” Carina’s hand reached out towards the photograph closest to her and she let out another incoherent babble; in the photograph, (Y/N) was pressing a sweet kiss to Steve’s cheek while the super-soldier’s face was scrunched up in laughter. “This was our first date; I introduced him to Mexican food and the incomparable Selena Quintanilla Pérez – both of which he ended up loving a lot more than I thought he would, so that was a pleasant surprise – then, we caught a 30th anniversary screening of Back to the Future and we topped the night off with ice cream. Did you know that your dad was the first man to ever give me flowers before a date?” She tenderly sighed at the memory of Steve standing on her front porch, a nervous but enthusiastic smile on his face as he clutched a bouquet of pink roses in his hands and told her how beautiful she looked. “I think I might’ve fallen in love with him all over again that night…”
A tentative knock on the bedroom door shook (Y/N) out of her musings and after pressing a kiss onto her daughter’s forehead, she opened the door and followed Bruce back to the common room. In their absence, Rhodes had several large pizzas delivered and along with the diapers and the onesie, he’d ordered several sets of baby clothes, a soft blanket, a pacifier and some powdered formula, all of the basic essentials that (Y/N) had been forced to manage without since the day Carina was born; she thanked the colonel profusely for his thoughtfulness and although he’d given her an indifferent shrug in response, she could sense that some of the unspoken hostility between them had dissipated. (Y/N) and Bruce, whose stomachs began rumbling with hunger the moment they stepped into the kitchen and smelled the fresh pizza awaiting them, both scarfed down their pizza in record time while Rhodes watched with a mildly-impressed look on his face.
After dinner, (Y/N) worked on carefully wrangling a squirming Carina into her new duck-patterned onesie and matching cotton hat while Bruce took it upon himself to explain everything to the colonel; he told him how they both ended up stranded on a hostile alien planet and how they helped save the Asgardian people from the destruction of their home-world, and then went on to detail the attack on the Statesman and how they managed to escape back down to Earth. Rhodes interrupted every so often with a clarifying question or quip, but he mostly listened to the scientist speak with a stoic expression on his face that briefly faltered as Bruce described their fight against the Black Order in Greenwich Village and Tony’s abrupt departure, along with the scientist’s brief phone call to Steve.
“Did either of those aliens mention where their ship was headed?”
(Y/N) shook her head and her temples throbbed in pain as she unconsciously began to search Loki’s imparted memories for an answer. “Before invading Earth on Thanos’ behalf, Loki was kept at the Sanctuary, an asteroid field inhabited by the Chitauri. He never really knew where it was located, unfortunately, so we’ve got no way of knowing where it’s at or even if Thanos still uses it as his base of operations.”
With a nod, Rhodes rearranged his troubled frown into a look of confidence. “Tony’ll find a way to contact us but in the meantime, we need to get a location on Vision. I wasn’t joking earlier when I said that you both look like hell, so try and get some rest while you still can, okay? ” The mechanisms in his leg braces whirled when he stood up and he waved a hand towards the cluttered workshop across the room. “If you guys need anything, I’ll be getting in touch with some of my contacts in the CIA and work on tracking Vision down.”
The colonel retreated into the workshop and began pulling up various holograms while Bruce turned to (Y/N) and nodded towards Carina, who was resting against her chest and preoccupied with the giraffe-shaped pacifier clutched in her tiny fist. “If you’d like, I can watch Carina while you finally get some rest? I know that you haven’t gotten any sleep since our last night on Sakaar, so you’ve gotta be dead on your feet right now.”
“But aren’t you tired too?”
Bruce shook his head. “The Big Guy slept plenty for the both of us back on the Statesman. Look, I took care of a lot of babies during my year in Calcutta so trust me, Carina will be in very capable hands.”
“Of course I trust you, Bruce.” (Y/N) smiled warmly at him and carefully placed her daughter in his waiting arms, giving the cooing infant a look of playful seriousness as she addressed her. “Be good for your Uncle Bruce, Cari. No hair-pulling and please try not to spit-up on him again, okay?” She tickled Carina underneath her chin and beamed at her adorable giggle. “I’ll see you in the morning, my lemon drop.”
After kissing her daughter’s brow and quietly thanking Bruce, (Y/N) made her way back down the hallway to Steve’s bedroom and paused long enough to kick off her boots before flopping onto the bed, burrowing into the soft and familiar bedding and inhaling the faint scent of her partner’s cologne as she finally allowed herself to succumb to her overwhelming exhaustion and fall into a dreamless sleep.
The bright and early morning sun shone through the compound’s windows as (Y/N) restlessly paced up and down the hall, alternating between staring down at the smooth floor beneath her well-worn boots and searching the clear blue sky outside for any sign of the Quinjet. Despite being well-rested for the first time in months, nervous butterflies filled (Y/N)’s stomach almost the moment she woke up and only seemed to intensify by the minute; she’d preoccupied herself with feeding, burping and changing a drowsy Carina and once those tasks were completed, she’d begun pacing around the compound’s common room and workshop, but an emergency State Department meeting was called via hologram and since she had no desire to see Secretary Thaddeus Ross after all he’d done during the ratification of the Accords, she was forced to pace in the hallway outside of the living quarters.
“If you keep doing that, Carina’s gonna throw up everywhere.”
At Bruce’s sudden warning, (Y/N) tore her eyes away from the window and stopped pacing the moment she realized that Carina’s open pram had been closely following her anxious movements. “Oh, shi-Sorry about that, lemon drop. Mommy’s just a little nervous right now.” She leaned a shoulder against the window and looked out at the compound’s still grounds with a weary sigh. “Got any tips for how to tell a super-soldier that you conceived, carried and gave birth to his child all while he was on the run as a fugitive of the law?”
The scientist took a sip of his coffee and thought her question over for a moment before answering, “Other than breaking it to him slowly, I don’t think there’s any good way of telling him all that. It goes without saying that Steve’s an old-fashioned guy so yeah, he’s gonna feel guilty and blame himself for not being there for you and Carina.” He cast her a furtive look as he leaned against the window beside her. “Are you upset at him that he wasn’t there?”
“No. No, I know that he was away doing everything he could to make the world a safer place, and after…after everything I went through on Sakaar and after barely escaping Thanos and his Black Order, I’m just grateful that I’m even alive to see him again.” She reached down into the pram and lightly caressed the soft skin of her daughter’s cheek. “And I’m beyond grateful that Carina has the opportunity to finally meet him.”
“Well, I won’t lie and say that he’s not gonna hate himself once you give him the news,” Bruce sighed, looking out the window as (Y/N) turned to discreetly wipe a stray tear away. “And that’ll be rough, no doubt about it, but if he loves you as much as you love him, then I’ve got a feeling that you’re both gonna be able to work through all of this together.”
With a grateful smile, (Y/N) playfully bumped the scientist’s shoulder with her own and arched a curious brow. “Any chance that one of those seven PhD’s of yours is in psychology?”
“Nope, but who knows? Maybe I’ll go for lucky number eight after we stop Thanos and save the world again.” He grinned and bumped her shoulder back, returning his attention to the window before them and standing a little straighter as he continued. “And it looks like you’ll be able to test out my not-so-expert advice sooner rather than later.”
(Y/N)’s head snapped up at Bruce’s comment and her heart jolted in her chest when she spotted the distinctly recognizable Quinjet making its descent from the clouds. The knowledge that Steve and her friends were so close by nearly made her break out a sprint to the compound’s hangar, but she caught herself before she could and quickly turned to Bruce beside her. “Can you please watch-?”
“Of course.”
Pressing a fleeting kiss onto his stubbled cheek, (Y/N) took off her uru bracelet and pressed it into the smiling scientist’s hand before hurrying down the hall; she skidded around corners and only ran faster down the hallways the closer she got to the hangar, ignoring the stitch beginning to form in her side and the tears that threatened to fall as she did. When she finally reached the double doors that led into the hangar, she didn’t hesitate to shove them open and stumble out onto the platform that overlooked its vast interior just as the Quinjet’s ramp began to lower. The first to emerge from the aircraft was Natasha, her face drawn with unease while she turned to watch the others descend the ramp; Vision was sporting a visible wound along the length of his torso and was being supported by Wanda and Sam, both of whom looked completely drained and in need of several hours of good sleep. The sight of her friends – as bone-tired and weary as they were and despite the circumstances surrounding their return – brought a smile to (Y/N)’s face, a smile that only widened when her super-soldier finally emerged from the Quinjet.
Steve Rogers looked exactly the same as he had the last time she’d seen him, with his long blonde hair combed back, a scruffy beard obscuring the lower half of his face and his old Captain America uniform faded and worn from two years of continuous use. During their time apart, she’d forgotten just how tall and broad Steve was; his muscles bulged against the fabric of his uniform and as he strode down the aircraft’s ramp, he was forced to lower his head to avoid bumping it against the frame. His azure eyes were entirely focused on the trio limping ahead of him but as if sensing her familiar presence, he looked up at the platform she stood on and the air in her lungs vanished as their eyes finally met.
“(Y/N)…” Steve breathed in disbelief, and the sound of her name being uttered so softly and full of devotion was all it took to spur her into action; she hurried down the flight of stairs, any thoughts of tripping or falling far from her mind as the super-soldier ran towards her, meeting her halfway and catching her when she threw herself into his arms. “God, I missed you, sunshine.” She buried her face in the crook of his neck and released a shuddering sob as he tightened his arms around her and lifted her off the ground. “Baby, I missed you so much.”
“I missed you too, sweetheart.” (Y/N)’s eyes stung with tears and when she pulled back to look at Steve’s face, she saw that his azure eyes were also beginning to water. Before she knew it, their lips crashed against each other and Steve’s hands tightly clutched her borrowed sweatshirt while she threaded her fingers through his long hair and pulled him even closer; their kisses were searing and desperate, the product of over six months being apart from one another, and in that moment, she felt as though they were in a world all their own. Not much time had passed when (Y/N) was forced to pull back and catch her breath, but the super-soldier continued pressing kisses across her cheeks and jawline, reverentially caressing her lips with his once more before resting his forehead against hers. “Holy shit, t-that was…I think you might’ve just taken my breath away…”
Steve grinned and affectionately nuzzled the tip of his nose against hers. “Not bad for a one-hundred-year-old guy, huh, sunshine?”
Remembering the similar words he’d spoken to her just after their explosive first kiss onboard the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier, (Y/N) breathlessly chuckled and shook her head. “Not in the slightest.” She allowed her eyes to flutter closed as one of her hands rested against the side of his face and softly caressed the skin of his cheek, giving herself a moment to revel in her partner’s loving and secure embrace. “Welcome home, Steve.”
Their peaceful moment was interrupted by someone clearing their throat nearby and when (Y/N) looked over for the source of the noise, she was met with Sam’s trademark smirk and raised brow. “Hey, no hug for your best friend in the whole entire world? That’s pretty cold, Booksmart.”
“Birdbrain!” Extricating herself from Steve’s embrace, (Y/N) surged forward and into Sam’s open arms; her best friend squeezed her tight and she was forced to choke back a sob. “I missed you, Sam. I even missed hearing that goddamn nickname.”
He chuckled and pressed a chaste kiss to her temple. “Right back at you, (Y/N); getting called ‘Birdbrain’ by these guys just wasn’t the same.”
When he released her, she turned to Natasha and pulled the spy into a warm hug that she was quick to return. “Seeing as they’re alive and well, I take it that these two somehow managed to stay off your nerves?”
“Barely. I resisted killing them because I knew you’d be a little bummed if I did, so you’re welcome for that,” Natasha joked, pulling away and smiling as she looked her over. “I wish that this were under better circumstances, hot-shot, but it’s great to see you again.”
(Y/N) gave the spy’s hand an affectionate squeeze and looked past her at Wanda and Vision, frowning in concern as she took in the younger woman’s gashed forehead and the android’s slashed midsection; it was clear that they’d recently had a run-in with the Black Order and (Y/N) thanked their lucky stars that despite his serious injury, the Children of Thanos failed to retrieve the Mind Stone from Vision. “Wanda, Viz, are you both okay?”
“We will be.” Wanda’s smile was forced as she adjusted her hold on Vision beside her. “And are you okay? We were ambushed right after we saw the footage of their attack on New York, and we saw you fighting one of those creatures off.”
“Sporting traditional Asgardian battle armor, no less,” Vision added, wincing a little while Sam moved to support his other side but still managing to give her a weak smile. “We weren’t even sure it was you until Captain Rogers told us about the phone call he received from Doctor Banner.”
Swallowing nervously, (Y/N) glanced around the small group before settling her gaze on Steve, whose brow was furrowed in apprehension as his eyes searched hers. “It’s kind of a long story, but we should probably head inside first; Secretary Ross has Rhodes trapped in a meeting right now and I just know that he’d love to see you guys again.”
The corner of Steve’s lips curved upwards at her thinly-veiled sarcasm. “Well, in that case, we shouldn’t leave the Secretary of State waiting.” After taking hold of her hand, they walked up the flight of stairs and made their way through the compound’s private quarters to the workshop; the super-soldier interlaced their fingers and she looked over at him, her heartbeat quickening as they shared a smile. While she was still filled with anxiety over telling Steve about Carina, her partner’s soothing presence helped to alleviate some of her worry and gave her the strength she needed to finally introduce him to their daughter. They walked into the workshop with their hands still joined, ignoring the conference table populated by holograms of suited men pouring over documents and heading straight towards where the hologram of Secretary Ross stood before a frustrated Rhodes; the look that crossed the Secretary of State’s weathered face when they entered the room could only be described as pure loathing, and Steve’s grip on her hand tightened before he tersely greeted the older man. “Mr. Secretary.”
Secretary Ross’ eyes blazed with anger. “You’ve got some nerve, I’ll give you that.”
Beside (Y/N), Natasha smirked and retorted, “You could use some of that right now.”
“The world’s on fire, and you think that all is forgiven?” The Secretary of State looked over at (Y/N), his eyes narrowing in distaste as she arched a defiant brow and refused to look away. “All that time spent lawful lobbying for the deactivation of the Accords, only to throw it all away the minute they come calling. They’ve really got a hold on you, don’t they, Miss (Y/L/N)?”
In that moment, Steve’s entire demeanor shifted, white-hot rage radiating off of him as he clenched his jaw and stared the older man down. “I’m not here looking for forgiveness, and I’m way past asking for permission. Earth just lost her best defender, so we’re here to fight.” He took a step forward before continuing on, the timbre of his voice low and full of warning. “And if you wanna stand in our way…we’ll fight you, too.”
(Y/N) moved to stand beside her partner and flashed Secretary Ross a humorless smile. “All that time spent dividing and villainizing Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, only for it to fail spectacularly the minute the world needs saving again.”
The Secretary of State’s nostrils flared and he indignantly turned to Rhodes. “Arrest them.”
“All over it.” But instead, Rhodes swiped his hand and the holograms faded away, leaving him standing in the empty workshop with a growing smirk on his face. “That’s a court-martial. It’s great to see you, Cap.”
Steve smiled and let go of (Y/N)’s hand before striding forward to shake Rhodes’. “You too, Rhodey.”
“Hey,” The colonel greeted Natasha as she gave him a brief hug, a happy gleam in his brown eyes as he looked the fugitives over. “Well, you guys really look like crap; must’ve been a rough couple of years.”
With his arm still wrapped securely around Vision’s waist for support, Sam shrugged noncommittally and even managed a small grin. “Yeah, well, the hotels weren’t exactly five-star.”
“I think you look great.” (Y/N) turned around to see Bruce timidly enter the workshop and anxiously fiddle with the sleeves of his torn blazer as the others stared at him in various degrees of surprise. “Um…yeah. I-I’m back.”
I guess that old flames really do die hard, (Y/N) thought with an inward smile, watching the expression on Natasha’s face shift from astonishment to admiration and her lips curve upwards. “Hi, Bruce.”
Bruce’s ears flushed red with embarrassment but his eyes remained trained on hers. “Nat.”
“…This is awkward.”
“Sam!” (Y/N) hissed, rolling her eyes as Sam merely grinned at her light chastising and Steve stifled a chuckle beside her. “Bruce, do you think you can check out Wanda and Vision’s wounds? I don’t like the look of either of them and there’s no telling when they’ll have another chance to have them treated.”
The scientist, whose brown eyes had widened in realization at what she was subtly attempting to do, nodded and stepped forward to help Sam support Vision. “Yeah, of course. C’mon, we’ll do it in the common room, it’s more comfortable in there.” He flashed her a supportive smile while he began guiding the wounded android forward. “Where do you guys keep the first aid kits around here, Rhodey?”
One by one, the fugitives filtered into the common room and once she was sure that their focus was entirely on their wounded friends, (Y/N) reached out and wrapped a hand around Steve’s wrist to stop him from following them. “Steve, can you and I go somewhere to talk for a few minutes?”
“Sure.” Steve allowed her to take his hand and lead him down the hallway towards the living quarters; they were several feet away from the super-soldier’s closed bedroom door when she suddenly stopped and turned around to face him, and his brow knit in concern when he caught sight of the expression on her face. “What is it, (Y/N)? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong, sweetheart, I promise, it’s just…there’s something I have to tell you, but I…” She took a steadying breath and looked down, her eyes level with the empty spot where his suit’s star once resided. “I-I don’t know how.”
He moved closer to her and hesitated for a moment before cupping her face between his large hands; her eyes fluttered closed and while she savored the gentle way his thumbs caressed her cheekbones, she reached up and loosely held his forearms. “Baby, can you look at me?” She opened her eyes and was met with Steve’s, the super-soldier’s azure irises filled with a soothing reassurance that instantly melted her heart. “You see? I’m right here, sunshine. Whatever it is you’ve gotta tell me, I promise you that I’m not going anywhere.” (Y/N)’s eyes searched his and after a long moment, she nodded and stretched up to press a chaste kiss to his lips. “Okay, I’m all ears.”
Ultimately deciding that it would be easier for her to just show him, (Y/N) squared her shoulders and took another deep breath before taking his hand and leading him into his old bedroom; Carina’s pram was floating beside the bed and the infant was fast asleep, with her tiny fingers curled around the hem of her blanket and her breath coming out in steady puffs. She retrieved her uru bracelet from the dresser beside her, slipping it on before taking hold of his hand again and quietly speaking. “I didn’t know it at the time, but I was already twelve weeks pregnant the last time I saw you. This is your daughter, Steve.”
A/N: Yep, you might wanna hold onto those tissues for the next chapter lol thank you all so much for reading and commenting! I’ve created a Spotify playlist inspired by this series, and I’ll be updating it every time I upload a new chapter. Enjoy!
So here we have it. Iron man 3. The possible end in what I think is Marvel’s best trilogy to date, outdoing my previous favourite trilogy as the x-men. As promised I will not be giving away any spoilers so carry on reading my friend and find out what is in store… The film starts off with non other than Tony Stark ( Robert Downey Jr-all the awards please) giving us a voice over of what has happened and what state he is in. We are given a blast from the past in a prologue of sorts from 1998 expect to see an all to familiar face pop up in the scenes to follow. Now when we are taken to the present day we are shown how Tony really is. He is a mess. After nearly dying in The Avengers, he has really noticed how much his, and many others, lives are worth. He orders Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau director of the previous Iron man films) , now head of security at Stark industries, to watch every move his girlfriend Pepper Potts (Gweynth Paltro) makes. This ends up getting Happy in some serious trouble and we see a side to Tony never seen before. He is caring for a man below him and we can tell he cares by a scene about a quarter of the way into the film. Our metal man and Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes (Don Cheadle) now have a mission on their hands as Tony generously made Rhodey a “Iron Patriot” suit to assist him in all of his jobs in the government. This however leads the two into some huge trouble, the suit as always causing more trouble than solving.
Now after a brief scene in The Avengers, we now know that Pepper and Tony are living together, all loved up, in what now seems a considerably larger Malibu mansion. Now we all know that gift giving is customary when two people are in a relationship but Tony may have just taken it a tad over the edge- just a tad. Go see Iron man 3 and you will get what I mean. However all of this lovey dovey-ness cannot last forever as an ex-girlfriend of Tony’s turns up and creates tension between the two. Dr Maya Hansen (Rebecca Hall) asks for a little bit of help from her old lover but in fact is hiding her true intentions from us for some time until Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce) turns up and crashes the party. Now Killian is here to worm his way to destroying Tony after something that happened in the flash back and causes some really big problems for our hero. To the subject of the Mandarin (Ben Kingsley…or is it?). Oh we are lead on for some time until his true intentions come to life and let me tell you- I was shocked once I found out what they were. It feeds us this story of a terrorist who bombs because his village’s people were shot needlessly when he was a boy. But when we dig a little deeper past the bad satin clothes and golden chains, it is more than that. I won’t ruin it for you but you are in for the biggest twist in a Marvel movie to date.
The end face off is epic, a must see for 3D fanatics. Even Pepper gets to become a little bad ass and kick some metal, looking fantastic whilst doing so. Full of twists and turns you never saw coming, Iron man 3 is action packed, full of laughs and will actually give you pain. After the ending of the film all of us here at Reviews and That were actually feeling pain in our hearts, as if a piece of us were missing. I have never experienced such pain in my lifetime from a film and wasn’t expecting it to hurt so bad. It’s up there with Rose Tyler’s exit from Doctor Who at Bad Wolf Bay, yes friends it’s that bad. Now as all true Marvel fans know, never leave the cinema until the end credits have rolled as bonus scenes are always giving us more information as to what the next Marvel movie shall be. Let me tell you, it it both amusing and soothing to that gaping hole in your heart you had for the past ten minutes as the titles rolled.
Rating:12A Marvel’s Iron man 3 is now in cinemas in the UK and Northern Ireland.
Some tumblr people have put together RhodeyCon starting today, where they will celebrate James “Rhodey” Rhodes, aka War Machine, aka Iron Man, aka Iron Patriot. So if you’re curious about him, you’re already a fan, or, like the woman above, you want to have his children, check out fuckyeahrhodey or the #rhodeycontag.
I don’t think you understand what you’ve started. Letting the Avengers loose on this world. They’re dangerous.They surely are.And the whole world knows it. Every world knows it.Was that the point of all this? A statement? A promise. (insp.)
May 29th. His 47th birthday was getting closer and closer. Tony didn’t want to think about it. That absolutely did not stop his best friend in the slightest.
Rhodey bullied Tony out of his lab for the afternoon. Tony knew what his best friend was up to, he was trying to get Tony to partake in some kind of birthday celebration. Tony really didn’t want to. But Rhodey knew just how to convince him otherwise.
“It’s not every day you have a birthday, Tones,” he said.
“Sugar plum you know I don’t like my birthday,”
Rhodey rolled his eyes.
“I told you in college, so long as I have some kind of say in it, you’re never spending another birthday on your own,” Rhodey said.
![[EDITH] even depressed i’m the hero](https://64.media.tumblr.com/8b47516020dd2011c4d1253314d2e619/e562f8dbe572752b-b8/s30x30u_c1/552e808c318fe518c29624a7cd8380c89fa4183f.jpg){kind=small}
