💤 FALLING ASLEEP ON THEM unintentional closeness → realization / softness / caretaking 💤 "Have a nice nap?" / "I thought you were going to sleep forever." / "Shh, go back to sleep baby."

🌙 GOLDEN HOUR that in between moment → realization scenes / soft almosts / quiet tension 🌙 “It’s weird… everything looks different right now. You do too.” / “If I say something, will it ruin this?” / “We should probably go. - Yeah… just—give me a second.”

🧺 PICNIC BASKET something hidden inside → secrets revealed / gifts / unexpected confessions 🧺 “That wasn’t in there earlier. - “Yeah. I didn’t know how to give it to you.” / “You brought this… for me?” / “If I show you, you can’t pretend you didn’t see it.”

🪑SAVED SEAT someone always leaves space for you → quiet devotion / unspoken care / to be loved is to be known 🪑 “You always sit there. - Only when you’re here.” / “Was this—saved? - “It usually is.” / “I didn’t think you’d come. - “I didn’t think you’d leave me a spot.”

🌌 FIREWORKS ENDING silence after the noise → emotional comedown / realization / loneliness or peace 🌌 “It’s really quiet now.” / “I liked it better when I couldn’t hear myself think.” / “So… what happens after this?”

☀️ SUNBURN caretaking + vulnerability → tending to someone / soft touches / quiet intimacy ☀️ “Hold still—you’re gonna make it worse.” / “You don’t have to take care of me like this. - I know.” / “Does it hurt? - Not as much as you hovering.”

🍴 "TRY MINE" sharing food & sharing space → intimacy / trust / soft flirting 🍴 “Here—just take it. - “I could’ve asked. - You never do.” / “You always give me the better one.” / “Try it? For me?”

🪑 FOLD OUT CHAIRS side by side conversations → late-night talks / emotional honesty 🪑 “Funny how it’s easier to say things when we’re not looking at each other.” / “We’ve never actually talked about this, have we?” / “If I say it now, I can’t take it back.”

🛏️ AFTERNOON NAP lazy, quiet closeness → drifting in and out of sleep together / accidental cuddling 🛏️ “You’re still here. - “Wasn’t planning on moving.” / “Did I fall asleep on you? - “Yeah… didn’t mind.”/ “We should get up. -“In a minute.”

⏳ WAITING for them to show up + change → doubt / hope / payoff reunion ⏳“You said you’d come back.” / “I almost stopped waiting. - “Almost?” / “You’re late. - “I know. I’m still here.”

🧃 JUICE BOX playful, youthful energy → carefree chaos / laughter / childhood nostalgia 🧃 “You just sprayed that everywhere. - Worth it.” / “When did we start acting like kids again?” / “Don’t laugh—I’m serious. - “That’s the problem.”

🌾 TALL GRASS half-hidden, tucked away → private conversations / secret kisses / hiding from others 🌾 “No one can see us out here.” / “We shouldn’t be hiding. - “Then why are we?” / “It feels different when it’s just us.”

🕶️ SUNGLASSES seeing + not seeing → stolen glances / hiding feelings / perception vs reality 🕶️ “I can tell you’re staring. - You can’t even see my eyes.” / “You hide behind those a lot. - “Maybe I need to.” / “Take them off. - “Why?“ - So I know what you’re thinking.”

🧁 CUPCAKES small celebrations → “it’s not a big deal” birthdays / quiet milestones / soft surprises 🧁 “It’s not a big deal. - “Then why’d you remember?” / “You got these for me? - “Don’t make it weird.” / “Make a wish. - “You already know what it is.”

🪵 WOODEN FENCE leaning, waiting → watching from afar / longing / quiet observation 🪵 “You’ve been standing there a while.” / “I didn’t think you’d notice me.” / “You always look like you’re about to leave.”

🧂 POTATO CHIPS light, messy, impossible to eat just one → casual closeness / reaching into the same bag / lingering touches 🧂 “You’re gonna finish the whole bag. - “Watch me.” / "My hand was already there. - “So was mine.” / “You don’t mind sharing? - Not with you.”

🎆 FIREWORKS big emotions, louder than expected → confessions / overwhelm / emotional release 🎆 “I can’t hear you—what did you say?” / “I said I—” boom / “Fine. I’ll say it again.”

🍽️ PAPER PLATES temporary but meaningful → fleeting moments that still matter / this won’t last, but it’s real 🍽️ “This is kind of temporary, isn’t it?” / “Does it matter if it is?” / “I think I’d still choose this.”

🔕 MISSED CALL almost connection, the one that got away → timing issues / regret / what could’ve been 🔕 “I tried calling. - “I know.” / “Why didn’t you pick up? - “I didn’t know what to say.” / “You were supposed to be there.”

🍦MELTING ICE CREAM time running out + fleeting moment → rushed confession / “before it’s too late” energy 🍦 “It’s gonna melt. - “Then say it faster.” / “We’re running out of time. - “Then don’t waste it.” / “Just—before it’s gone…”

💫 WATCHING THE STARS TOGETHER sneaky love + soft touches → falling asleep together / naming the stars after each other / forced (welcomed) proximity 💫 “That one’s yours. - “You can’t just claim stars.” / “You’re closer than you think.” / “If we stay like this, I might fall asleep. - “Then stay.”

⛺ BONFIRE warmth in the dark → storytelling / vulnerability / shared silence ⛺ “You don’t have to tell the whole story.” / “It’s easier in the dark.” / “I didn’t think anyone was listening. - “I always am.”

🌊 LATE NIGHT LAKE SWIM daring love + hidden feelings → romantic tension / almost confessions 🌊 “It’s freezing. - “You jumped in first.” / “You look different out here.” / “If I say something stupid, blame the cold water.”

🍯 HONEY slow, golden, lingering → drawn-out tension / soft touches that last too long 🍯 “You’re taking your time. - “I’m not in a hurry.” / “You always do that—linger.” / “Say it already. - “Not yet.”

🎇 FIRECRACKER sudden, sharp reaction → arguments / impulsive confessions / tension snapping 🎇 “Why are you acting like this?” / “Because you won’t just say it!” / “Fine—then listen.”

📸 DISPOSABLE CAMERA captured moments → memories / realizing feelings after the fact / almost too late 📸 “Don’t delete that. - “I wasn’t going to.” / “You kept all of these? - “Every single one.” / “That’s when it started, wasn’t it?”

🌧️ SUDDEN RAIN plans interrupted → running for cover / laughter / forced closeness 🌧️ “Run! - “Where?”/ “You’re soaked." -“So are you.” / “We should’ve checked the weather.” - “I’m glad we didn’t.”

🌳 SHADED TREE relief from the heat → safe space / emotional grounding / leaning on someone 🌳 “Come sit. You look like you need it.” / “It’s cooler here.” - “Stay, then.” / “You always find the quiet spots.”

🐜 ANTS tiny annoyance crowding into a big moment → interrupted confession / forced proximity / comedic tension 🐜“Don’t move—there’s—” / “Why are you so close?” - “Because you won’t stop moving.” / “This is not how I pictured this going.”

🍓 STRAWBERRIES soft, indulgent, a little romantic → feeding each other / quiet affection / yearning 🍓 “Here—try it like this.” / “You’re staring.” - “You make it hard not to.” / “You always give me the sweeter ones.”

✨ SPARKLERS brief but bright → momentary romance / realization of feelings / magical moment ✨ “It won’t last long.” / “Then don’t waste it.” / “Look at you—you’re glowing.”

🎡 CARNIVAL NEARBY distant music and lights → yearning / wanting something more / chasing a feeling 🎡 “We could go, you know.” - “Or we could stay.” / “You ever feel like you’re missing something?” / “I think this is enough.”

🍋 LEMONADE something sour turning soft → enemies to lovers lite / misunderstandings / emotional resolution 🍋 “You don’t hate me that much, do you?” / “It gets better, I promise.” / "Flirting? Me? I wouldn't call it that."

💛 BEFORE THE SUN GOES DOWN aware of fleeting happiness + trying to memorize the moment → noticing details / fear of losing it 💛 “You’re doing that thing again.” - “What thing?” - “Trying not to forget.” / “Say something so I remember this right.” / “I wish I could pause this.”

📦 LEFTOVERS what’s left behind → memories / things unsaid / emotional residue 📦 “You can take this with you."/ “Feels weird packing it up." /“Not everything gets finished.”

☕ MORNING AFTER PICNIC soft aftermath → quiet conversation / reflection / “we should do this again” ☕ “We should probably talk about yesterday.” / “Do you have to go?” / “Same time next week?”

🧻 NAPKINS cleaning up a mess → vulnerability after something goes wrong / wiping tears / gentle care 🧻 “Hey—look at me.” / “It’s just a mess. We’ll fix it.” / “You don’t have to pretend you’re okay.”

🍉 WATERMELON sticky fingers, shared bites, sweetness that lingers → first kisses / almost kisses / teasing intimacy 🍉 “You’ve got juice all over your hands.” / “Then help me clean it.” / “You missed a spot.”

🍞BRUSHING NON-EXISTENT CRUMBS OFF crushing hard + scared to admit it → lingering touch / excuse for contact / care disguised as habit 🍞 “Hold still.” / “There’s nothing there.” - “I know.” / “You don’t have to find excuses.”

🌬️ SUMMER BREEZE soft, barely there → almost touches / words left unsaid / quiet longing 🌬️ “Did you feel that?” / “You almost touched me.” / “Almost doesn’t count.”

🚗 IN THE TRUCK BED open air, close proximity → stargazing / late-night talks / accidental intimacy 🚗 “There’s more space than I thought.” - “Not really.” / “You can lean if you want.” / “Don’t fall.” - “Then don’t move.”

🫙WATCHING THE FIREFLIES COME OUT summer crush → not realizing how close the other is / brushing hands 🫙 “You’re closer than you were a second ago.” / “Don’t scare them off.” / “I wasn’t looking at the fireflies.”

💬 OVERHEARD CONVERSATION something you weren’t supposed to hear → misunderstandings / accidental confessions 💬 “How long were you standing there?” / “Long enough.” / “You weren’t supposed to hear that.”

🏡 BACKYARD LIGHTS soft glow at night → slow dancing / late-night confessions / lingering after everyone leaves 🏡 “Dance with me.” - “There’s no music.” - “There doesn’t have to be.” / “Stay until they turn off.” / “Just one more song.”

🎈WATER BALLOON FIGHT chaotic love + messy aftermath → picking pieces from their hair / hanging up wet clothes / sharing a towel 🎈 “You started it!” - “You escalated it!” / “You’re soaked.” - “So are you.” / “Come here—hold still.”

🥗 PASTA SALAD thrown together but somehow perfect → unlikely dynamics / found family / chaotic group settings 🥗 “This shouldn’t work, but it does.” / “Kind of like us.” / “Don’t say that like it’s a bad thing.”

🍒 CHERRIES sweet with a hint of tension → playful teasing / “tie the stem” flirting / building tension 🍒 “You’re not actually going to try that, are you?” / “Watch me.” / “You’re unbelievable.”

🧺 PACKING THE PICNIC preparation as love → doing things for someone before they even ask 🧺 “You already thought of everything.” / “I know what you like.” / “You didn’t have to do all this.” - “I wanted to.”

🌻 WILDFLOWERS simple, soft, meaningful → “i saw this and thought of you” / gentle love 🌻 “These aren’t anything special.” - “They are to me.” / “You picked these?” - “I saw them and—yeah.” / “You think of me when you’re not here?”

🌅 LAST SUMMER TOGETHER knowing it’s ending → goodbye energy / nostalgia / unresolved feelings 🌅 “Let’s not talk about what happens after.” / “Just this once, okay?” / “I’m going to miss this.”

🚶 WALKING AWAY choosing distance → self-protection / heartbreak / growth 🚶 “Don’t follow me.” / “If I stay again, I won’t leave at all.” / “This isn’t me giving up.”

🎶 PORTABLE RADIO music drifting through the air → dancing / memory-triggered moments / song-associated love 🎶 “You remember this song?” / “Don’t laugh—dance with me.” / “We used to—” - “I know.”

🥪 SANDWHICHES carefully made, quietly thoughtful → acts of service / knowing someone’s preferences / domestic intimacy 🥪 “You cut the crusts off.” - “You hate them.” / “You remembered that?” / “I always do.”

🤝 “WE'RE JUST FRIENDS” until it’s clearly not → blurred lines / tension / denial 🤝 “We’re not doing anything wrong.” / “Then why does it feel like we are?” / “Say it—we’re just friends.”

🧊 COOLER what’s kept hidden → secrets / things unsaid / emotional walls 🧊 “What else are you keeping in there?” / “Stuff you’re not ready for.” / “You don’t have to hide it from me."

✨ anything else i should know? just this: take your time, enjoy the process, and don’t overthink it

this collab is about capturing a feeling. something warm, fleeting, and worth holding onto 🌼

for any more questions/curiosities feel free to send a message my way so we can figure it out! thank you all so much and i can't wait to see what you guys write!

throwing a few tags out there, don't feel pressured into doing anything i just thought i would spread the word and make the blanket big enough for us all ✨

The party is mostly over by the time Bucky finds you. You're curled into the corner of the couch, cheeks flushed, eyes glassy, clutching a cup of water like it's precious cargo.

"There you are," he says, crouching beside you.

Your face immediately brightens.

"Bucky!"

"That's me."

You stare at him for a long moment, then point at him with complete seriousness.

"I have a request."

His mouth twitches.

"Do you now?"

You nod, a sultry smile on your lips. "Can I have a kiss?"

For a second, Bucky just looks at you, not missing the hook line you were trying to set. Then he gently takes the water from your hand before you spill it on yourself.

"Not tonight, sweetheart."

Your face falls.

"Oh."

The disappointment is so dramatic that he nearly laughs.

"But," he says, lifting a finger, "I can offer an alternative."

You squint suspiciously.

"What alternative?"

Bucky leans forward and presses a kiss to your forehead.

"There."

Before you can protest, he kisses the top of your head.

"And there."

You blink.

"That was two."

"Sure was."

"I asked for one."

"Figured I'd throw in a bonus."

A sleepy smile spreads across your face.

"I'm so lucky. You always give me extras."

His expression softens. Yeah, he does. Because it's you, because every day he gets to spend with you feels like something he never expected to have. You yawn and tip sideways until your head lands against his shoulder.

Bucky wraps an arm around you to keep you steady.

"Comfy?" he asks.

"Mhm."

Outside, the last of the guests are leaving while inside everything feels warm and quiet. You mumble something sleepy and slurred into his shirt.

"What was that?"

Your eyes are already drifting shut.

"No," you murmur, smiling, "I couldn't ask for another."

color tag game - Go on pinterest and type in the prompts down below. Whatever image pops up first is your image. Prompts: colour, quote, character, hobby, accessory, song lyrics, flower. tagged by: @winteryn

eerily accurate.. even down to the yankees fan

catch up game tagged by: @jamesbbcrnes

🎵 Last song I listened to: all these things ive done - the killers 📺 Last series: criminal minds 🎬 Last movie: the conjuring 2 🏅 Best thing about the last month: beach vacation!! 📚 Currently reading: the name of the wind 🎮 Currently playing: paralives 👾 Currently working on: literally eight million things at once 🌶️ Sweet/spicy/savoury?: ooo spicy! ive been craving szechuan hot pot for like two weeks now 🎨 Favourite color: purple! 🤩 Current obsession: forever and always bucky barnes ☕️ Tea or coffee?: coffee coffee coffee 🌐 Last internet search: canva

szechuan... please if you can hear me i miss you

ten songs on repeat tagged by: @jamesbbcrnes & @fictionalfloozy & @winteryn

all these things ive done - the killers motion - khalid time in a bottle - jim croce black hole sun - soundgarden voodoo dall - 5sos i just called to say i love you - stevie wonder until the end of time - justin timberlake/beyonce a lack of color - death cab for cutie hands down - dashboard confessional na na na (na na na na na na na na na) - my chemical romance

as you can see ive been in a polyjammerous mood

self fic rec - fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite fics that you’ve written, then pass on to at least five other writers. let’s spread the love 💜 tagged by: @jamesbbcrnes & @winteryn

⊹ with it or on it | 18+ mature themes ⊹ sticky confessions | fluff ⊹ you all along | 18+ smut ⊹ sweet as can be | 18+ smut ⊹ the right questions | 18+ smut

this was hard... most of them are just my most popular but i do like them all, i dont think i have a favorite fic yet. i do really like with it or on it

celebrity crushes - add three photos of your female & male celebrity crushes tagged by: @maddiespasta

rebecca furgeson. gugu mbatha-raw. mariska hargitay.

sebastian stan. dylan o'brien. jon bernthal.

this is just straight off the dome okay, now everyone take their clothes off.

10 people i'd like to get to know tagged by: @goldiwrites

last song: too fast by riah | this is my GIRL when shes at the grammys ill be front row with my #1st fan tshirt on currently watching: sex and the city | okay confession time ive never watched this before but i kept getting clips of it and i needed to know the lore current obsession: sex and the city LOL | its a good show that i can turn my brain off for and plus its peak late 90s fashion i love seeing all the outfits currently reading: dungeon crawler carl | i found a playlist to listen to alongside while reading and tell me why they had the dragonborn song on there lmfaoo i was lit tho currently working on: a million things | i have a clark fic im editing, some secret summer stuff, a couple series like literally everything LOL currently wearing: a white sweater i got from the beach and pink polka dot shors (aka my pjs) last google search: canva... again LOL | i have a calendar on there that has all my fics planned out and i check it like three times an hour bc my brain in crazy favorite flower: ummm maybe hydrangeas

The rain has turned Brooklyn's sidewalks silver as Bucky catches up to you halfway down the block, breathless from running.

"Wait!"

You stop but don't turn around immediately.

A month ago, you asked him if he felt the same way. A month ago, he'd laughed nervously and changed the subject. You'd gotten the message and had since distanced yourself. Now his shoes splash through puddles until he's standing in front of you, hair damp, chest rising and falling hard.

"What do you want, Barnes?"

The question lands sharper than you intend.

His face falls and you hate that it does, hate that it still hurts.

"I was an idiot."

You blink.

"What?"

Bucky scrubs a hand over the back of his neck. "Back then. I got scared."

The admission sounds painful.

"You?" you ask softly.

A weak smile tugs at his mouth.

"Turns out I'm brave enough to pick fights I can't win and dumb enough to jump outta airplanes." He looks at you. "But tellin' a girl how I feel? That's terrifying."

The laugh that escapes you is reluctant.

Bucky steps closer.

"I thought if I said it out loud and you changed your mind someday, it'd hurt."

Your heart squeezes.

"So instead you hurt me first?"

His expression crumples.

"Yeah. I'm sorry, doll."

Rain patters between you.

Then, almost helplessly, he says, "Now you say you love me, so I can say it back."

The world feels suddenly very quiet, your eyes wide at his words.

"You… love me?"

Bucky reaches for your hand. Every inch of him is earnest, every inch of him is terrified.

"I love you," he says. "Been lovin' you for longer than I've got the guts to admit."

You squeeze his fingers.