Mickimoo

You and your dad always had a plan for the Fourth of July weekend.

In the morning, you both would go to the 24-hour diner just a few blocks away in your pajamas and order the classic All American Breakfast. It was a tower of buttermilk pancakes with a side of bacon and sunny side up eggs cooked to perfection.

By noon, you’d be swimming with friends and family under the bright, burning sunlight while your dad took over the backyard. He would have the grill ready, making the best burgers— the kind that were a little burnt at the edges, and hot dogs that were charred and crispy on the outside but soft and juicy on the inside.

Beers and seltzers would already be chilled in the coolers, the ice nearly melted because it couldn’t keep up with the summer heat, and you’d crack a cold one just as the sun went down and the fireworks began to light up the sky.

Fourth of July weekend was the holiday you looked forward to most—so when your dad told you he wouldn’t be home for it, you could only imagine your disappointment.

You were lying in your bedroom with every intention of sleeping in since every plan for the weekend was out window, but the sun piercing through the glass window and the sound of rustling in the living room downstairs woke you up.

Climbing out of bed tiredly, your bare feet padded softly down the wooden steps. You were still rubbing the sleep out of your eyes by the time you reached the kitchen.

“Dad?” you mumbled sleepily. “You’re home already—?”

Once the sleepy vision fog cleared, what you found in your kitchen was not your father, but rather...

“Not your daddy,” Steve said, turning to face you from the kitchen island. He set the mail he’d just picked up and his spare keys down on the counter. “But someone better.”

The spare keys.

The ones your dad had lent to Steve for ‘emergencies’—which he never actually used them for but instead used them to come over whenever he wanted, watch TV, and crash on the couch. But you didn’t mind, because you liked and respected Steve.

Plus, it had been a while since you had last seen him.

“Well, are you just gonna stand there and gawk? Or are you gonna give your good ol’ Steve a hug?”

You flashed a droopy, sleepy grin as you met him at the counter. Getting up on your tippy toes, you raised your hands to wrap them around his neck, and he returned the gesture with a tight hug around your waist.

“Mmm,” he hummed with a squeeze. “There she is.”

“What are you doing here, Stevie?” you asked as you pulled away.

“What? You don’t like seeing your dad’s favorite best friend over?” he asked with a playful grin and a matching head tilt.

You chuckled tiredly. “That’s not it, and you know it. It’s just… what brings you here? My dad isn’t even in town.”

“That’s the point, sweetie.” He leaned back against the counter, folding his large arms over his broad chest.

You swore he was too old to be wearing shirts that were always one size too small for him.

“I know how much celebrating the Fourth of July means to you—and since he’s out of town… well… I figured I’d take over the celebration.”

You crossed your arms and raised a brow, half suspicious yet half amused. “Did he make you do this?”

“What? No. I’m doing this out of the kindness of my old heart,” he chuckled lightly. “And besides, I wouldn’t want to celebrate my birthday alone this year. So… how ‘bout it? A fun weekend with just you and me?”

Hanging out with Steve on the Fourth of July weekend was far better than doing nothing all alone. And by hanging out with Steve, it meant he’d pay for everything—breakfast and all. You knew you couldn’t turn him down—not that you wanted to—but you still wanted to try and pull his leg.

“I don’t know,” you sighed dramatically, running a finger along the tile of the counter. “You should’ve asked me a lot sooner. My friends already planned something this week.”

You didn’t even need to look up to see Steve’s frown.

“But it’s also my birthday,” he said pathetically. “You wouldn’t leave me all alone on the Fourth of July now, would you?”

You had to bite back a smile. He looked like a kicked golden retriever. It was never a question of how or why your dad became friends with Steve Rogers—he was just too much of a likable guy all around.

“Well, since you’re asking so nicely—I guess I’ll spend it with you.”

His smile was so wide it was contagious.

“That’s my girl.”

Steve swiped the keys off the counter and twirled the keychain around his rough finger. “Your dad told me all about your guys’ adventures over a beer one time. Wouldn’t shut up about it. So the only right way to do this is by starting off with breakfast at a diner, right?”

Your lips quirked into a half smile as you bit your lip. “Not just any diner. It’s Mama Joann’s, just a few blocks away. And not just any breakfast, either. We get the—”

“—All American,” Steve finished with a smug grin. “I know. Your old man talks a lot.”

He pocketed his phone and wallet into his jeans and nodded towards the front door. “I’ll get the car started. Go on and get dressed now.”

When you didn’t move an inch, he paused and raised a brow at you.

“Guess my ‘old man’ forgot to mention during his ramblings that we actually go in our pajamas,” you explained, waving a finger at him. “So technically—you’re the one who isn't dressed.”

Steve’s face was unreadable as he scratched at the stubble on his chin.

“Honey, if you wanted to see me in nothing but my underwear, you should’ve just told me.”

Your face immediately warmed at his bold statement. “Y-you—! What—!”

But before you could even stammer out a coherent sentence, Steve was already walking out the front door to wait for you.

A red 1966 Ford Mustang was parked at the curb of your house. It was an old thing that made more odd sounds than it did distance.

It was Steve’s pride and joy—that typical man project he was always working on in his garage. He rarely ever took it out, occasionally driving it around the neighborhood just to keep the engine breathing. You guessed he had actually planned on spending time with you this weekend before today, because he’d gotten it all fixed up and ready just for you.

The car creaked and groaned as it made its way to Mama Joann’s, the radio connected to an aux cord playing Bob Dylan—his favorite.

He had the top down, leaving your hair to whip wildly in the wind. You caught him glancing at you through the side mirrors.

“What are you staring at, Stevie?” you asked without looking at him.

Steve held the wheel with one hand, while the other rested casually on the gear shift. “Nothin’,” he said, a grin evident in his tone. “It’s just… your pajamas.”

“And what about them?” You looked down at yourself, peering over the rim of your sunglasses. You were wearing a soft white tank top and a pair of light pink plaid sleeping shorts. “Did you take me out to breakfast just to make fun of my sleeping clothes?”

He chuckled—deep and raspy. He glanced over at you, blue eyes dancing over the rim of his own dark sunglasses as they traced the curve of your bare leg up to your tank top. You realized just then that you weren’t wearing a bra, since you never slept in one and hadn’t bothered to put one on.

“Not making fun of you, sweetie,” he said, pinning his focus back on the road. “Just think the shorts are cute and all.”

Despite the wind blowing in your face, you still felt warm.

Finally pulling into Mama Joann’s busy parking lot, Steve stepped out of the car.

When riding with Steve, he never let you open the doors yourself. He would quickly park, scramble over to your side, and hold the door open for you. Every time he did it, your dad would always say, “See what Uncle Stevie does for you? This is why I won’t let you settle for anybody less.”

“Thank you,” you said with a smile, grabbing his hand. “But you know you don’t have to do that when my dad’s not around, right?”

“When has your dad being here ever mattered?” he asked genuinely, raising an eyebrow as he shut the door behind you and locked it.

You shrugged. “You know how he is—he’ll always be like, ‘Look at Steve! When you get a boyfriend, make sure he respects you like Steve does,’ yadayada.”

A short snort left his lips as he held the diner door open for you. “Honey, I don’t think there’s any man out there who’ll be respectable enough for you anyway. It’s best you save yourself from the disappointment and stay single.”

You raised a brow at that. Sometimes, you found him acting more paternal than your actual father did with how often he lectured you.

The bell chimed with a welcoming jingle, and Steve stepped in right behind you.

As always, Joann was walking around with a black apron wrapped around her waist, refilling the coffee cups of everyone seated at the booths. The bell chiming caught her attention, and she smiled upon seeing you.

“There you are!” she greeted so loudly it caused the customers to look up at you and Steve. “You had me believin’ for a second that you’d be missin’ out on a yearly tradition.”

She set the pot down, motioning to the booth by the window that she always gave to you and your dad.

Speaking of which…

“Now, this handsome man next to you ain’t your daddy,” she said, nodding to the six foot two man standing right beside you. “Who’s this? And is he single?” she asked shamelessly.

Steve chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “I’m Steve—a good friend of her dad’s.”

“Hey, Joann,” you waved with a smile. “My dad is out of town for a work trip, so Steve insisted on taking me out for the Fourth of July weekend.”

You two slid into the booth as Joann laid two menus over the sticky wooden table.

“Well, ain’t he sweet,” she cooed. “I know you and your dad always get the All American, but in case your friend here wants somethin’ different, I’ll give you guys some time to look over the menu.”

Then, before leaving, she threw a wink in Steve’s direction, though she was talking to you. “And if Mr. Steve wants to hang out with someone more… age-appropriate—just know that the folks in town call me Mama for a reason—”

“—Okay, thanks, Joann!” you quickly dismissed her with a burning face and an embarrassed wave of your hand.

Steve chuckled, lifting the menu and leaning back in the booth. It looked way too small for a man his size with the way he filled the space.

“She’s a sweetheart, isn’t she?” he joked.

You blew a raspberry and gave him a look, glancing at your own menu despite already knowing what you were going to order. “Should I invite her back over to have breakfast with us, then?”

Steve grinned wolfishly. If he didn’t know any better, he might’ve assumed you were jealous. His eyes raked over the menu. “So, the All American, you said?”

You nodded enthusiastically, looking giddy as you smiled brightly over the top of the menu. “It’s the best thing here. Joann’s buttermilk pancakes are the best—better than anything you can get from a chain.”

You pointed to where it said ‘with a side of bacon and sausage’ on the menu, and tapped on the bacon text. “And make sure to get the bacon extra crispy.”

“Geez,” Steve huffed a laugh, the corners of his blue eyes crinkling up handsomely. “Sounds like you and your dad know what you’re doing.”

You laughed at the fond memory of your father taking you to this same diner since you were a little girl. The fact that he wasn’t here to celebrate was saddening, but you couldn’t have asked for a better man to spend it with than Steve.

You watched as he reached for his coffee mug, his large hands cradling the ceramic. It looked tiny and weightless in his grip, the tight hold emphasizing the veins and roughness of his hands. He lifted the mug to his lips, blowing on it gently before swallowing in slow gulps that made his Adam’s apple bob.

You swallowed hard and tried to avert your gaze so he wouldn’t catch you staring. But instead, your eyes trailed lower to his built chest and the way his stomach slightly pushed against his tight shirt.

He set his mug down and glanced up.

He caught you staring, and he smiled.

You quickly tried to save face.

“Yeah, um—I bet the calorie intake will probably throw off your entire game,” you stammered out with a chuckle that sounded awkward and nervous. Jesus. What were you saying?

‘Nervous’, however, wasn’t in Steve’s vocabulary.

Awkward? Probably.

“What?” he frowned.

Steve glanced down at himself, noticing his slouch and the way his belly seemed… a bit softer as of late. He had one too many steaks and far too many beers.

He looked back up at you, his grin turning slow and lazy. He rested his large forearms on the edge of the table, leaning in just enough to make himself look even more imposing.

“What’s the matter?” he murmured, his voice dropping deep and gravelly in a way that made your nerves dance. “A girl like you doesn’t like a man with a little meat on his bones?”

Your breath hitched and your eyes widened. Before you could even stammer out a response, he continued.

“Besides,” his blue eyes twinkled with amusement as he maintained eye contact, “don’t you think I need a little extra fuel if I’m gonna keep up with you all weekend? Unless you’re planning on keeping me busy enough to burn it all off, that is.”

It was way too early for Steve fucking Rogers, of all people, to be making you feel this way.

This unexpected, flustered and butterflies-in-your-stomach type of feeling caused by your own father’s best friend.

You had never seen Steve in any light other than as your father’s highly respectable, closest friend. At this point, you couldn’t tell if he was just taunting you like he normally did, or if he was actually flirting. But with the way he was looking and smiling at you—no.

Surely, he wouldn’t take that risk.

Then again, with your dad out of town, maybe there was a side to Steve he usually kept hidden—one you knew nothing about, but was now curious to unravel.

Desperate for a distraction, you grabbed your own coffee mug, which had cooled down enough for you to swallow it in big, hasty gulps.

“Easy, girl.”

“Just…” you wiped your lips, “…thirsty.”

Steve grinned. “Coffee is a diuretic, silly goose.”

And there was the taunt. You mentally groaned, wanting to kick yourself for even entertaining the possibility that Steve would ever blur the line between himself and his best friend’s daughter.

“It’s too early for you to be teasing me like this, Stevie,” you mumbled shyly, tracing your finger along the wooden table.

Steve wore a wolfish grin, resting both of his large arms on the table as they crossed over each other, taking up even more space in the tiny booth. “Sorry, I can’t help it,” he snickered. “Especially when you react the way you do.”

“Hey! What’s that supposed to mean—” you started to say, but your words died in your throat as a large presence that was hard to ignore fell over the booth.

“What do we have here?”

The voice was gruff and deep, lacking the playful warmth you and Steve had just been exchanging. You and Steve both froze, staring up at Bucky, who stood at the edge of the table holding his own coffee mug. His expression was unreadable, his sharp eyes glancing back and forth between the two of you as you sat there completely dumbfounded.

He raised a brow at your silent, wide eyed stares. “There a party going on that I don’t know about?”

While your father was best friends with Steve, you didn’t know how your father also managed to become best friends with a man like Bucky Barnes.

Growing up, Bucky had his share of good moments—he helped you learn how to drive, despite snapping at you impatiently whenever you hit the curb. He picked you up from parties whenever you were too drunk to get yourself home, and he would often spoil you with sweet treats or something he found at a store, always with a simple, “Saw this running errands, thought you might like it.”

But, in return, Bucky also had plenty of bad moments.

He was incredibly specific about how he liked things. If you ever tried to help him or your dad with something—like the grill or fixing a drink— Bucky would already be over your shoulder, nudging you away and taking the tongs right out of your hands.

“I got it. You’re just making a mess.”

There were times where you would be dressed up to go out with friends, and he would be sitting on the porch with your dad for a smoke. He would look you up and down, eyes lingering, and say something like, “You’re really going out looking like that? Go put a jacket on.”

Or sometimes, when your dad was away and you needed a hand around the house whether it be checking on the locks or fixing a leak, Bucky would show up, but he’d be short tempered the entire time. He would constantly scoff while he worked, acting like he had a million better places to be.

Your dad always told you that Bucky was part of the family—that it was just how he was, and that was how he showed his love.

But you didn’t buy it.

You felt like he had something personal against you.

And… it also felt like he might have something personal against Steve, too.

“Bucky,” Steve greeted, though it sounded more like a warning.

Or maybe, it was Steve that had something personal against him.

Bucky’s eyes flickered down to meet Steve’s, holding his gaze for a long moment. “Steve.”

While the two men stared at each other in a silent competition, you took this opportunity to take in Bucky. He wore a dark leather jacket that had seen better days with a white tank top—that strained against his thick lower belly—tucked beneath his belt and jeans.

Bucky tore his gaze away from Steve to look down at you.

“Well?” Bucky’s lips tugged into a lazy, tired smirk. “Aren’t you happy to see me?”

There were times when Bucky would disappear, going M.I.A. for weeks at a time. It had gotten to the point where even your father had gotten involved, leaving late at night, scrambling out the door with nothing but a hasty, “Don’t wait up for me, okay? Uncle Bucky is… uh, going through something and he needs me right now.”

It hadn’t taken you long to piece together that your father kept having to pick him up from bars, or even the police station. Yet despite his recent wrongdoings, just like your father, you still had a soft spot for him that you could never push away, no matter how much he worried you.

“Of course I am,” you finally said.

Even with your lack of enthusiasm, Bucky seemed pleased with your answer. His leather jacket creaked as he gestured with his coffee mug to the empty spot on the bench right next to you. “Mind if I sit? Or is this seat reserved for someone else?”

“Sit down, Buck,” Steve said. All the warmth he had shared with you gone and thrown out the window now that Bucky was here. “We were just about to order.”

Bucky glanced at Steve, pursing his lips as he gave a short nod. “Good.”

He set his mug down on the wooden table and slid right next to you in the booth. His denim clad knee brushed roughly against your bare leg, making you shudder and feel even smaller. “Because I’m starving.”

Bucky rested his hands on the table, intertwining his fingers. He looked like he worked with his hands, and he smelled like Marlboro Reds.

You could see the dirt trapped underneath his fingernails, his skin calloused—the rough texture of someone who spent his life either fixing things or breaking them. He scratched the stubble on his chin.

Just like Steve, it looked like he hadn’t shaved in weeks.

He caught your gaze and smiled, letting his eyes trail down to your legs. “Cute pajamas.”

Steve’s eyebrow twitched.

“Thanks,” you said shyly, looking down and playing with a stray string that had come loose from your shorts. “My dad—well, when he’s actually in town—likes to take me to this diner on the morning of the Fourth of July weekend. It’s usually our tradition.”

While Steve already knew your tradition with your father like the back of his hand, Bucky had no clue.

“Ain’t that sweet,” Bucky hummed in amusement, giving you his full attention. “What else do you and your dad do? I wanna hear all about it.”

You smiled just thinking about it. “We always host—”

“—a party in their backyard, grilling burgers, drinking beer, and swimming,” Steve cut in, taking a sip of his coffee as he glared a sharp dagger straight into Bucky’s eyes. “The one he hosted last year was fun. And the one before that too. It’s a shame you missed it, Buck.”

Steve wasn’t being sympathetic at all, and both of you knew it. He was being petty, even immature, throwing it in Bucky's face that he hadn’t been around for any of the holidays—or that he didn't even know your father was out of town, for that matter.

Bucky’s jaw clenched, but he kept his smile up, trying to save face just for you.

“Is that right?” he murmured. “Guess I had some important business to take care of last summer. But I’m here now, Stevie. So why don’t you fill me in on what else I missed?

Steve had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from saying something offensive.

“You missed a lot, Buck,” Steve said flatly. “More than you think.”

You sat there, sandwiched between a tension that was rapidly becoming suffocating.

It was clear that whatever Steve and Bucky had going on—which you had no clue about—they never communicated or resolved. You figured it might have had something to do with Bucky and his recent downward spiral—traveling down a wrong, bumpy path with signs that led to nowhere. But you weren’t going to sit here and become their mediator.

Clearing your throat, you caught both of their attention.

“I have to use the bathroom,” you announced. “If Joann comes by, you already know what to order for me. Bucky, will you excuse me, please?”

Bucky nodded before sliding out of the seat. He offered his hand to help you out of the booth, and the two older men watched you walk off towards the restroom. As you left, Bucky wore a grin that Steve knew all too well—a smile that meant nothing but trouble.

“Look at her,” Bucky said, watching you from afar with a soft look in his eyes. “Our baby is all grown up.”

Steve scoffed in disbelief. “Our baby?”

The smile Bucky was wearing quickly dropped into an annoyed frown now that you were no longer there to witness it. He slid back into the booth, leaning across the table as he glared at Steve.

“What the hell is your problem?” Bucky hissed, ditching his good boy facade entirely.

“My problem?” Steve sneered, leaning across the table to meet Bucky halfway. “My problem is that you show up after months of silence whenever it’s convenient for you—bringing all sorts of trouble with you.”

Steve kept his voice low, trying to maintain enough control to avoid drawing attention to their booth.

“What the hell have you been doing these past few months?”

Bucky’s brows drew together so closely as he glared back at his childhood best friend. Before your father came into the picture, Steve and Bucky had been two peas in a pod. They were inseparable growing up, but as they got older, they naturally drifted into their own separate lives, with only occasional chatter here and there.

Steve had already gone through the whole marriage routine. He had tried to start a family with his ex-wife, Peggy, but after she cheated on him, he went through a heartbreaking divorce. Meanwhile, Bucky had suffered a string of devastating losses.

Bucky had always prided himself on being a family man, and when he lost it all, he felt like he had nothing left. His mother, Winnie, and his sister, Rebecca, had both passed away in the same year. From there, Bucky fell into a dark stupor, finding comfort only in solitude and alcohol.

Over time, Steve grew to despise the way Bucky coped—hating to watch his best friend drink himself silly and end up in places he shouldn’t be. Bucky, on the other hand, hated being lectured by Steve. He believed that a true friend should support him at all costs, through all the good and the bad.

Eventually, they both just kept their distance, leaving you and your dad as the middle ground.

“I’m in recovery, Steve,” Bucky protested weakly, his fingers digging into his palm as he tightened his fist.

“Yeah?” Steve scoffed with a bitter smile. “And how’s that working out for you?”

Regret washed over Bucky’s blue eyes, and for a split second, Steve nearly softened. But he couldn’t. His friend had pulled his leg for far too long. The mental reminders of Bucky taking advantage of him over the years were enough to make Steve push down his guilt.

“Look, I’m trying, okay?” Bucky muttered, staring into his half-empty mug. “I just wanted to pay a quick visit to town—see how you and her dad are doing.”

“See how he and I are doing?” Steve folded his arms across his chest, sitting back. “Or see how she’s doing?”

Bucky’s jaw clenched. He kept his head down but raised his eyes to glare back at him. “And if I was, is there something wrong with that?”

Steve really tried his best to keep his composure. Bucky knew exactly how to get under his skin—using a voice that could pass for innocent when it was anything but.

“You have no right showing up back in town after all the bullshit you pulled. Did you even know her father was out of town? Or did you take advantage of him being gone just so you could spend time with her?” When Steve realized how loud he was getting—catching the attention of some of the diner staff—he dropped his voice to a harsh whisper.

“If you’re still involved with whatever shit you were getting into, leave it behind. Don’t drag her into this—”

“—Jesus. Where the hell is the waitress?” Bucky muttered, throwing his arm over the back of the seat and looking behind him.

Steve snapped his fingers to yank his attention back. “And don’t think for a second I didn’t notice you checking her out. Are you fucking kidding me, Buck? She’s your best friend’s daughter!”

“Hey—all I did was call her shorts cute.” Bucky turned back to Steve. “I was just being nice.”

Steve ran out of scoffs to give. “You’re a lot of things, Bucky, but you’ve never been subtle.”

Bucky could feel his own patience frying. “Wanna know what’s funny, Stevie?”

“What?”

Now, it was Bucky’s turn to lean in so no one else could eavesdrop. “To an outsider, you look like an old, perverted man taking a young, respectable lady out on a date. Come on, Steve. How old are you again?” he tilted his head with that taunting tone that made Steve’s blood boil. “You’re drilling me so hard over something so trivial, but you’re no saint either.”

Steve slammed his hand on the table, causing the wood to shake and making the family of four at the next table gasp. So much for being discreet.

“What the hell kind of person are you trying to make me out to be?”

“Don’t act like you haven’t thought about it,” Bucky shot back. “A pretty girl like her—looking up at you the way she does, with that cute smile of hers.”

Steve opened his mouth, his face turning a furious shade of crimson. “What are you saying—!”

Bucky held his gaze, his eyes boring deeply into Steve’s. “Look me in the eye and tell me you haven’t thought about fucking her, Steve.”

Neither of them had noticed Joann standing there, her pen poised over her notepad. She stared at them completely dumbfounded, her mouth slightly agape in shock.

“Uh,” she drawled, her gaze shifting slowly between the two grown men. “What’ll it be, boys?”

Both Steve and Bucky blinked up at her.

They cleared their throats rapidly and sat back, trying to put as much distance between each other as the small booth allowed. Steve forced his charming smile back onto his face, acting as if he hadn’t just slammed his hand down and yelled a second ago. Across from him, Bucky crossed his leg and turned his head, pressing a hand over his mouth to hide his frustration as he forced himself to look out the window.

“We’ll have the All American,” Steve said.

Joann jotted down their orders—along with an extra chocolate milkshake added by Bucky, which earned him a side-eye from Steve, since Steve was the one paying for it all.

On your way back from the bathroom, you bumped right into her.

“Oh, hey Joann. Did you already take our orders?”

“Sure did, but honey, you better be careful with those two,” Joann warned, pointing her pen over her shoulder toward your booth with a worried expression. “They look like they bite.”

The chance to elaborate was long gone as she was already walking off towards the kitchen. Turning your attention back to the booth, you saw Steve pressing his cheek against his palm, staring morosely out the window, while Bucky casually sipped his coffee.

You smiled to yourself, oblivious to all the tension.

From where you stood, it looked like they had gotten along just fine while you were gone.

The breakfast platters were already cleared away, leaving nothing but a pile of crumpled napkins and Bucky’s drained milkshake glass.

Up front by the old cash register, Steve stood with his back to the booth, digging into his wallet as Mama Joann rang up the bill. Even from behind, Steve’s broad shoulders were still stiff from his earlier irritation.

Breakfast had gone by smoothly enough—though it wasn’t quite as fun as it normally was with your dad, you still appreciated their company. The entire time, however, it felt like they were talking to you rather than to each other. Every time Bucky asked you a question, you would answer, only for Steve to immediately grab your attention next. Once you replied to Steve, Bucky would subtly try to fight for your focus again.

The whole dining experience felt more like a job interview than spending time with close family friends.

Now, you were left alone in the booth with Bucky. With Steve away from the table, Bucky’s shoulders eased up just slightly.

“So,” he drawled. “What are you and Stevie going to do after this?”

You thought about it for a moment, realizing you and Steve hadn’t actually planned much of anything.

“I’m… I’m actually not sure,” you replied with a shrug. “Breakfast was all we talked about today.”

“Sounds boring, and sounds just like Steve,” Bucky said, leaning back against the seat and draping his arm over the top as he looked down at you.

Under his cold stare, you always felt so small.

You knew Bucky was the kind of man who just took what he wanted—and right now, it felt like he only wanted you.

“You remember Becca’s old house? The one by the lake?” he asked.

You blinked, caught off guard. Ever since his sister’s passing, your father had strictly warned you never to bring up Bucky’s family. It was only safe to do so if Bucky brought them up first, and even then, you had to be careful to avoid any painful triggers.

“I do,” you nodded, keeping your response brief to let him control the conversation.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been over there,” Bucky explained, his blue eyes studying your face. “I think I can fix up her old boat in the shed. Maybe we can take it out for a spin on the lake.”

Your mouth parted slightly with a loss for words. Bucky was inviting you to his late sister’s house? To ride on her boat, no less? He rarely ever spoke about Rebecca, let alone extended an invitation to her place. You were pretty sure not even your dad had ever been invited over there.

“And considering it’s been some time since I last saw you, I think it’d be a great opportunity for us to catch up,” Bucky added.

“Catch up on what?”

Both you and Bucky looked up to find Steve standing at the edge of the booth. He was pocketing his wallet in the back of his jeans, taking in your wide eyes and Bucky’s slouched, unbothered posture.

Bucky kept his arm draped casually over the seat behind you. “Just telling her about Becca’s old place,” he said with that smug tone. “Thinking about going down to the lake later. Get some fresh air. You know, since you didn’t make any plans.”

Steve’s jaw clenched so hard you were sure you heard his teeth click. He crossed his arms tightly over his broad chest, glaring down at Bucky.

“Oh, is that so?” Steve huffed. He then shifted his gaze to you. “And what did she say about it?”

Being put on the spot made your stomach drop. It felt like there was no right answer.

Your eyes flickered back and forth between them. You could understand Steve’s apprehension—Bucky’s reputation hadn’t been... the best, as of late. But looking at Bucky, seeing as much hope as he could muster in those tired blue eyes and the vulnerability of him sharing a piece of his late sister’s memory with you, you already knew your answer.

“I’d love to check out Becca’s house and ride on the boat,” you finally said.

Bucky let out a quiet breath of relief, while Steve’s brows pinched together in disbelief.

“…But,” you added quickly, “I think it’d be fun if Steve tagged along, too.”

The disgruntled noise that left Bucky’s mouth would’ve made you laugh, but the way Steve’s eyes nearly bulged out of his sockets beat you to it.

Bucky pulled his arm back, throwing you an incredulous look that he didn't even bother trying to hide. “Sweetheart, I was actually hoping it would be just the two of us—”

“I would love to come,” Steve interjected, a shit-eating grin spreading across his face that Bucky wanted nothing more than to wipe off.

A smile broke across your face. You knew there was still an underlying tension between them, but the prospect of visiting Rebecca’s old house for the first time and riding in a boat was far better than sitting around doing nothing.

“Yay!” You clasped your hands together, your enthusiastic gaze flickering between the two of them. “Steve and I will stop by the house first so I can change—”

“No,” Bucky interrupted, waving a hand dismissively. “You already extended an unwanted invite to Steve, and I’ll only forgive you if you don’t keep me waiting.”

He kept his eyes locked on Steve as he slid out of the booth, rising to his full height to meet him face to face.

“You remember the way to Becca’s house?” he asked.

“‘Course I do.”

“Good.” Bucky spared a quick glance down at you as you began sliding out of the booth yourself, before turning his attention back to Steve. He leaned in, voice dripping quietly so only Steve could catch it.

“Don’t have too much fun with her on the way, yeah?”

Steve only glared harder.

On the drive to Rebecca’s house, you noticed Steve’s grip on the steering wheel was tight, his knuckles taut. One of his favorite songs came on the radio, and he didn’t even care to acknowledge it.

There was something deeply wrong between him and Bucky—something you had missed entirely while you were in the bathroom.

Finally mustering the courage, you decided to address it. “Steve—”

“There’s something you should know about Bucky,” Steve cut you off, deciding to it for you.

“Okay,” you murmured, prompting him to continue.

“I don’t know how much your dad has told you,” Steve said, letting out a deep breath through his nose. “But Bucky’s been through a lot. He isn’t the same guy he used to be. I know he’s… family to you, and I know your dad trusts him. But Bucky’s been running with a bad crowd lately. Getting into things he shouldn’t be, making promises he can’t keep. He’s reckless.”

You leaned back slightly in your seat, your right arm propped on the window sill as you watched Bucky’s truck ahead of you. Everything he was saying to you wasn’t exactly new.

“Where are you going with this?”

“He treats everything like a game. People, relationships,” Steve continued.

He paused for a moment, chewing his bottom lip in apprehension as he tried to find the right words.

“I recognize the way he’s looking at you, and I don’t like it one bit. He’s looking at you like a distraction from his own mess. I just... I don’t want to see you get hurt, or caught in the middle of whatever trouble he’s dragging behind him.”

You slowly let out the breath you had been holding.

For the most part, you were grateful that Steve was actually being open with you about Bucky and his bad habits. Whenever Bucky’s name came up around your father, your dad was always quick to beat around the bush, never addressing anything seriously.

“Ah, Bucky is just going through a rough patch right now.”

“He’s just in another one of his moods. Leave him be.”

“I invited Bucky to your birthday party, but he… he couldn’t make it. You know how he is.”

Even though Bucky was everything a girl like you should avoid, at the end of the day, he was like family. And the idea of him being alone this weekend while he was back in town killed you.

He had his ups and downs, and as much of a grumpy old man he could be now, you weren’t going to throw away all the good times just because of the bad.

“I’m a big girl, Steve,” you reassured him, glancing over. He kept his gaze locked on the road. “I can make my own decisions. Bucky invited me to his late sister’s boat—and despite everything, I couldn’t refuse that. You know why.”

Up ahead, Bucky’s truck slowed down, turning left onto a narrow, gravel driveway lined with overgrown pine trees. The reflection of the sun hit the lake and shone through the branches in the distance.

Steve pulled up right behind him, shifting the car into park but keeping his foot firmly on the brake. He turned fully in his seat to look at you, his blue eyes searching yours with earnesty.

“I know. It’s just… promise me you’ll stay close to me today,” Steve pleaded softly.

You unbuckled your seatbelt and gave him a reassuring smile. You nodded towards Bucky’s truck, where he was just hopping out of the driver’s seat and slamming the door shut.

“You act like he’s going to murder me.”

Despite your attempt at a joke, Steve’s expression didn’t waver.

“Your dad left you under my watch, so in a way, I feel responsible for protecting you—”

“—protecting her from what?” Bucky asked, slapping his calloused hands against Steve’s window and leaning over. “Woah—this car is still running? You know, my sister used to love this thing. Coulda’ sworn you were gonna win her over with it every time you pulled up to the house.”

Steve gave Bucky a deadpan look. With a grunt, he pushed his door open—forcing Bucky out of the way. But just as Steve started walking around to your side to open your door, Bucky beat him to it.

“Watch your step,” Bucky said, holding your hand to help you out of the seat. “Lots of rocks.”

“Since when did you get so sweet?” you teased, sandals stepping down onto the crunching gravel.

Bucky chuckled—a low, raspy sound as he shook his head. “Geez, you really think I’m an awful guy, don’t you?”

You gave him a small smile, which he returned with a gentle one of his own before letting go of your fingers.

Steve kicked a pebble with the toe of his boot. He didn’t like this interaction one bit, but he swallowed down his pride for your sake.

He looked around the property, taking in the overgrown grass and the faded paint on the siding of the old house. The place hadn’t been maintained in what looked and felt like years. The fences had once been painted a bright coral blue—Rebecca’s favorite color—but now, they were stained with dirt and weathered from years of neglect.

Steve glanced at you, knowing you were thinking the same thing. A solemn look settled into your eyes. You knew how close Bucky and his sister had been, and leaving this house to him had obviously been more than he could handle.

Bucky stood there stiffly, hands shoved into the pockets of his worn leather jacket. The playful twinkle his eyes had held for you just moments ago slowly faded the longer he stared at the house.

“It hasn’t changed much,” Steve said quietly, clearing his throat. He was trying to ease the tension, even though they both knew it was a lie.

Something between a snort and a self-deprecating laugh left Bucky’s lungs.

He nodded towards the path wrapping around the side of the building. “Come on. The shed’s down by the dock.”

The three of you fell into a single file line, with you taking the middle spot. As you approached the shed, Bucky fished around in his pocket for the keys. It took him a moment to find the right one, but when he finally pushed the door open, it revealed an eighteen foot wooden motorboat right in the middle.

The deep emerald green paint on the hull was flaking away in brittle scabs, exposing the gray, sun bleached wood underneath. Inside, the white oak ribs were coated in dust and cobwebs, and the stagnant rainwater pooling in the bilge smelled faintly of rot, causing you to wrinkle your nose.

Bucky took the first step inside, his hand reaching out to gently touch the worn steering wheel.

“We’ll get her fixed up today,” he murmured. “We’ll take her out on the lake.”

He spoke so softly you weren’t sure if he was talking to you, or to himself.

“I don’t know, Buck,” Steve hesitated, dragging a finger along the side. “She might leak like a sieve if you put her in the water right now. You’re gonna need a miracle to get this thing to turn over, let alone idle.”

Bucky’s shoulders dropped, his expression turning somber. He knew Steve was right, and seeing that defeated look pulled at your heart. He was already carrying so much emotionally, it ached to watch him rarely try to plan something special, only to see it fall apart.

“Chin up, you guys,” you spoke up enthusiastically, breaking the silence. “It doesn’t look that bad. Especially since there’s three of us—we can fix this in no time.”

Steve raised a skeptical brow at you. “You’ve never even touched a boat, sweetheart. There’s a lot of heavy lifting to be done here.”

“Well—it’s a good thing I’ve got two strong men by my side!” you joked, hopeful eyes flickering between the two of them. “Even if we don’t fix it completely, even if we just end up floating out there,” you shrugged, a smile tugging at your lips, “at least we got it on the lake, right?”

That, at least, managed to pull a small smile from Bucky.

And with the soft spot Steve always had for you, he knew he couldn’t deny your wishes.

With a reluctant sigh, he started moving around the shed, scanning the shelves for the tools they would need. “Well? What are we standing around for, then?”

For the rest of the afternoon, the three of you worked side by side to bring Rebecca’s old boat back to life.

Steve and Bucky took turns with the heavy lifting, hauling out the rusted battery and helping each other realign the heavy parts of the inboard motor. Bucky insisted on handling the delicate mechanical work—scraping away layers of rust, cleaning out the gummed up carburetor, and replacing the brittle fuel lines.

You did your best to help where you could, taking a wire brush to the flaking paint on the hull and wiping down the dusty wooden benches. Mostly, you acted as their mediator, passing wrenches and screwdrivers back and forth while they worked in relative silence.

By the time the sun began to slip behind the trees, painting the sky in beautiful shades of orange and pink, the boat was far from perfect, but it finally looked cared for again.

Bucky stood over the engine block, hands on his hips. He had discarded his leather jacket hours ago, and his shirt was now thoroughly drenched in sweat.

He looked over at you with a grin. “Think she’s good enough to take for a spin?”

Your lips started to tug into a smile. “Yes—!”

Steve shook his head, shutting you down. “No. The bilge pump is shot. It needs to be replaced before we put her in the water.”

Sitting on the wooden bench inside the boat, you glanced over your shoulder and met Steve’s eyes with a frown. “But we worked on it all day. Are you sure we can’t take it out? Not even for a little bit?”

“Without that pump, water is going to leak through the planks like crazy,” Steve explained.

But caught between your crestfallen look and the disappointed crease between Bucky’s brows, he sighed and gave in.

He checked his watch, tapping the glass. “It’s just past five. The auto parts store in town closes at seven on Fridays. If I leave right now, I can grab a replacement pump and be back before it gets dark.”

“Really? You’d do that, Stevie?” you beamed, your excitement returning in an instant.

Steve’s eyes softened. He hated how easily he gave in to you. “Yeah. I’ll be quick—just stay here, alright?”

Bucky shifted, rocking back on his heels with a rare and slightly sheepish look. “Thanks, Steve.”

Steve stepped away from the boat, fishing his car keys out of his pocket. Before he turned around, he pointed a stern finger at Bucky. “Don’t do anything stupid until I get back.”

To anyone else, that saying could have passed as typical, lighthearted banter between two old friends. But you knew Steve well enough to hear the real warning underneath it.

Bucky just shrugged, unbothered. “How can I? When you’re taking all the stupid with you.”

Steve was already walking briskly up the path towards the driveway, keys jingling in his hand. He muttered something under his breath and shook his head, ignoring Bucky’s comment entirely.

The two of you watched him get into his car and drive off. The moment the sounds of Steve’s engine faded away, Bucky turned back to you.

A slow, mischievous grin spread across his face—it was a look that insinuated he was up to no good.

“How ‘bout we take her out anyway?” Bucky asked, nodding to the lake. “Just to see how long she’ll float?”

You gasped. “Bucky, no! Steve literally just said she’ll leak—”

“Steve worries too much,” Bucky scoffed, clicking his tongue. He stepped over to the stern and began pushing the boat towards the lake, ignoring the fact that you were still sitting inside. “It’ll take time for the water to really start coming in. We’ll just go out a hundred yards, turn around, and come right back.”

You knew Steve would be furious, and logically, sitting in a boat that was destined to take on water was a terrible idea. But looking at the sudden, bright spark of life in Bucky’s eyes—the first real glimpse of the carefree guy your dad used to talk about—you found yourself softening.

“A hundred yards,” you bargained, pointing a stern finger at him. “And the second my feet get wet, we turn right around.”

“Deal.”

Before you could change your mind, he shoved the boat down the wooden launch ramp. “Hold on tight!”

The cedar hull hit the once calm glassy surface of the lake with a splash, sending a hard ripple across the water. Bucky tied her off to the dock quickly, then vaulted over and immediately went to work on the flywheel.

He wrapped a pull rope around the starter, took a deep breath, and gave it a hard yank.

The engine coughed, sputtering out a cloud of blue gray smoke, but failed to catch.

“Come on,” Bucky muttered to the machine, wrapping the rope again. He gave it another tug.

This time, the engine sputtered, groaned, and then loudly chugged to life. Bucky laughed triumphantly, the sound so raspy and genuine— it made butterflies swarm in your belly.

He unhooked the mooring line from the dock and tossed it into the bow, then hopped back to the center of the boat to take the steering wheel, gliding the boat away from the dock and further into the water.

The cool lakeside breeze greeted your face, a godsend from working under the sun for hours. Surprisingly enough, the engine and boat remained stable while the sun turned the lake into a pretty pool of liquid gold.

Bucky had a gentle look on his face, the lines around his eyes creasing slightly as he wore a soft smile.

“My sister and I used to ride this boat all the time,” he explained softly, eyes boring into the sun dipping past the lake line. “We would go fishing—and she’d always hate me for catching the biggest fish.”

You smiled softly. It wasn’t often that Bucky shared a part of himself, but every time he did, it was beautiful.

“We should go fishing one day,” you said. “My dad loves fishing, and it’s been a long time since he saw you. Maybe we could do it when he gets back.” You chuckled quietly to yourself at the idea. “He’d probably be so jealous if he found out I got to ride your boat before he did.”

Bucky hummed, the corners of his lips quirking up.

The two of you stayed quiet for a moment as he steered the boat deeper into the lake. Compared to you and Steve, your conversations with Bucky weren’t as lighthearted or enthusiastic. Majority of the time, it’s just you sitting in awkward silence—well, awkward for you—while Bucky just basks in the moment.

“I’m sorry I haven’t been around these days,” he suddenly murmured, back still turned to you as he kept his focus on the sunset. “I’ve been caught up with a lot of things. I’m sure your father has told you, and I’m also sure I lost all his respect for me.” He huffed a self-deprecating laugh as he added, “Not that I deserve it, anyway.”

“You’re being too hard on yourself.” Even though he wouldn’t look at you, you kept your eyes on his back. “He still respects you.”

Then, Bucky slowly looked over his shoulder, eyes half lidded and tired.

“And what about you?” he rasped. “Do you still respect me?”

You tilted your head and raised a brow, not expecting him to care about your respect for him of all things.

“Of course I do, Bucky.”

“Good,” he nodded, looking back at the lake. “That’s good…”

While on the topic of respect, you couldn’t help but wonder…

“What about you? Do you respect me?”

Bucky’s lips curved up into an even bigger impish grin. “I don’t know yet,” he teased.

Your eyes bulged. “Huh? What’s that supposed to mean—!”

But the already short teasing interaction got cut even shorter, a wet sensation seeping through your sandals and between your toes.

You glanced down, catching the way the water was bubbling up through the gaps in the floorboards like tiny miniature fountains. The dark pool in the bilge had risen past the soles of your sandals, and with every small wave that hit the hull, the water level crept higher toward your ankles.

“Bucky,” you gasped, lifting your foot. “Bucky! Look down!”

Bucky glanced down, that impish grin stripped off his features as he lifted his boot, now dampened with water. “Shit.”

Your eyes flickered in a panic around you. The dock looked tiny in the distance. The shoreline was far away—way further than the promised a hundred yards. In the middle of your conversation, Bucky had kept driving obliviously and you were now stranded right in the deep center of the lake.

“Bucky, we’re too far out!” you shrieked as you lifted your knees to your chest, trying to keep your feet out of the freezing water.

The bilge was filling fast, making the boat feel heavy and sluggish.

“Turn it around!” you urged.

“I’m trying—” Bucky grabbed the lever, but the moment he shifted it into reverse to swing the boat around, the engine made a startling noise with a sputter that choked on the rising water. And died.

“Shit. It’s not turning—can you swim?” He met you in the center of the boat, where it rocked dangerously, and he grabbed your wrist.

“Oh, God,” you felt your heart race in horror. Being stranded in the middle of a lake with no life vest was a far reach from your usual swimming capabilities that only belonged in a swimming pool.

“Bucky—I don’t know how—”

“It’s okay,” he tried to reassure you, grabbing both your wrists, which only caused you to panic even more. “Just hold still—”

He tried to widen his stance to keep his balance, but your flailing caused him to hiss impatiently, pulling you closer to his chest with a harsh and sudden tug.

He was strong—strong enough to cause you to collide into his chest, and without the engine running to keep the boat steady, the sudden movement tipped the vessel. The momentum caused you to fall over, bringing Bucky down with you.

A shriek managed to escape your lips before you were engulfed completely under the freezing lake water.

You flailed your arms, trying to figure out which way was up. Bucky found your wrists again, pulling you upward with him as your head broke the surface. You gasped for air, blinking the dirty lake water out of your eyes.

“I got you—I got you, okay? Just stay with me,” he reassured, his deep and asserting voice overriding your panic momentarily as his long, dark hair hung wet over his gruff face. “Don’t let go.”

You stood in the middle of the first floor bathroom with Bucky. He was frantically rubbing you down with a towel, ruffling your hair into an even wetter mop than it already was as he kept mumbling things about not wanting to get you sick, and how both your father and Steve would kill him if he did.

“I’ll be okay, Bucky,” you grabbed the towel from his hands, pausing him. “You need to take care of yourself too. You’re drenched.”

“Right. Well, I was only able to find one towel in here—” He started browsing through the other cabinets, his large hands shifting through expired bottles and dusty toiletries out of the way.

As he rummaged deeper, his movements started to slow.

Hidden behind a stack of old soap bars was a small, dusty bottle of vanilla perfume and a faded pink hair ribbon—things left abandoned by Rebecca years ago, who was… no longer around to use them.

His shoulders dropped as he just stood there, staring at them.

You frowned softly, watching the change in his expression. “Are you okay?”

He closed the cabinet door slowly and shrugged, trying to shake it off, but there was no use. “I couldn’t find another towel, so I’ll just air dry.” He answered instead.

Your frown deepened as the water droplets from his hair hit the cold tile floor.

He was soaked from head to toe, and he was shivering. You knew there might have been a spare towel somewhere in the house, but you knew Bucky didn’t want to look. It had been clear that there weren’t any signs of life in this house after his sister’s passing up until now, and if he got shaken up from just seeing the perfume bottle and hair tie alone, then you could only imagine what he’d go through if he walked through the rest of the house.

“Don’t be stupid,” you murmured softly, gathering the damp towel and pressing it against his hair.

Bucky went still, his breath hitching as you began to dry his wet strands. You wiped the back of his neck, then moved down to gently dab at his broad shoulders and the damp fabric of his shirt.

“You should take your shirt off,” you explained. “You’ll get sick.”

He huffed a short laugh, glancing subtly over his shoulder down at you. “I could say the same thing to you, but that’d be inappropriate.”

Pausing, you quickly glanced down at yourself and realized just how inappropriate this already was—even with your shirt still on.

Your white cotton tank top was soaked right through, your cold and perky nipples poking against the fabric obscenely. Your shorts, completely damp, clung tightly to the curves of your body, riding up as water drippled down your thighs.

The entire sight was improper, and you were sure Bucky was thinking the same thing—he just didn’t want to address it.

Slowly, he turned around to face you, his hands finding your wrists and gently catching them to stop you.

“Thank you for riding the boat with me,” he murmured, gently guiding your hand with the towel over his damp and stubbled cheek.

Your breath shuddered. Bucky—your dad’s friend, who was usually always walking around with grumpy frown lines and his arms crossed—looked so utterly small and vulnerable in the small space of this cold bathroom.

“Of course,” you whispered.

Bucky’s grip on your wrists loosened, his large hands sliding slowly up your forearms, past your elbows, until they found comfort on your waist.

Even though he was drenched, his hands felt warm against your skin. Pulling you closer, his thumb brushed against the bare skin of your hip bones where your tank top had rose up.

“Every time I leave town, my mind always screams at me—telling me to come back to one thing,” he spoke quietly, his eyes tracing the vulnerable column of your neck. “Not even to your dad, or to Steve, or even… this house.”

He stepped closer, one strong leg finding its way between yours as he pushed you gently back against the sink’s counter.

“But to you. Isn’t that so wrong of me?”

You didn’t even realize you were holding your breath until you found out he was actually waiting for an answer.

“I don’t see how that can be wrong,” you spoke, more timidly than you’d like. “We’re like family, aren’t we?”

Bucky’s brows furrowed so deep it should’ve scared you.

“That’s what makes it so wrong,” he murmured, one hand coming up to cup your cheek, letting his thumb glide over the curve. “Because I have these thoughts—thoughts a man like me shouldn’t have for a girl like you. Like how badly I want to kiss you.” Bucky rasped, his voice conflicted as he pulled you closer against him, until no space was left. “I know I shouldn’t. But hell, everything in my body is telling me to.”

The look in his eyes matched the conflict he poured into every single word.

His hands held you tight, keeping you trapped between the counter and his body, but the look in his eyes was begging himself to let you go.

You knew you shouldn’t encourage this. You knew this wasn’t right.

And yet…

You reached up, your fingers tangling into the wet strands of his hair, and pulled him down and met his lips with yours.

The gasp that caught in his throat was overcome by the warm sensation of your mouth. Shock paralyzed him, but the longer he felt your lips press against his, he lost all the resolve that was screaming at him to stop.

Bucky took the control he wanted to have over you for a long time. His hands gripped your waist, meeting your first gentle kiss with a rough, demanding one. He slipped his tongue in as he lifted your body up until you were sitting right on the edge of the sink counter. He stepped closer, forcing your legs to open and let him in.

He didn’t want this moment to slip away, or even grace you with the opportunity to change your mind. His hands explored all over your body, large palms sliding to cup the curve of your ass, rocking the erection that grew in his pants within seconds just from being close to you.

“Fuck—we shouldn’t do this,” he rasped against your lips before pulling away to catch his breath. “We shouldn’t—shit—”

“I don’t care,” you whimpered, your pleading eyes meeting his hungry ones. “I want this.”

A dark, raspy chuckle left his lips. “You’re gonna get me in trouble.”

His mouth trailed down your jawline to bury his face in the crook of your neck. He bit and suckled at your sensitive skin, making you arch your back as his hot breath and wet tongue sent shivers straight down your spine. His hands slid up, fingers hooking under the hem of your soaked white tank top and pushing the fabric up until it was bunched beneath your chin.

You shuddered as the cold air hit your skin. Bucky’s eyes were dark and hungry, staring at the water dripping down between your breasts like a taunt.

“Christ, look at you. Looking like every man’s dream,” he groaned, greedy hands coming up to cup your tits before pressing both of them together. “I’ll take care of you. I promise.”

He leaned down to capture one cold, perky nipple between his lips. He swirled his tongue around the peak, sucking it deep into his mouth with a tug that had your fingers gripping his shoulders in pleasure, your hips rolling up against the bulge of his lower stomach as you filled the bathroom with the slutty sounds of your breath.

You arched your back, tugging at his hair while his tongue feverishly licked and sucked at the sensitive bud. While his mouth gave its attention to one nipple, his rough fingers would play with the other. Then he would switch between the two, giving your body all the love he knew it was lacking.

Bucky pulled his face away with a wet pop of his mouth, a string of saliva connecting to your chest as he licked his lips clean.

“This… this is so wrong,” his words drifted uselessly in the air as he broke the space again, his nose to your neck as his tongue found something new to play with.

His warm mouth danced around the skin of your neck, sucking, biting, and groaning with every nibble.

He was sure to leave marks, but you didn’t have the strength to tell him to stop—you didn’t want him to.

“Keep going,” you said breathlessly, your head rolling to the side while he made love to your neck and memorized your body with his hands. “Don’t stop, Bucky—”

Suddenly, all the tension in the room shifted into something far more wicked than what was transpiring between you and Bucky.

The door slammed open, hard enough that the knob left an indent on the wall, and right there, standing in the doorframe, was Steve—who had once been holding the brand new bilge pump that had fallen and hit the floor.

“What the fuck is going on here?”

if you've made it this far, as always thank you so much for taking the time to read my work. interactions are always appreciated, I love reading every bit of them!

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"I've got eyes on target, moving south." Jake said, looking through the high tech, thermal binoculars as he laid flat on the ground at the edge of the mountain top, looking down at the town below.

"Stay on him." Clay ordered, "We need to see where he's going."

"No problem bo..." Jake began before his nostrils flared and his cock twitched in his pants, body flooding with something he couldn't put a name on, as the most amazing smell filled the air around him, "Oh shit."

"What is it?" Clay asked with concern, stomping across the space between him and Jake.

"What is that?" Jake rasped, dropping the binoculars from his face and taking another deep inhale of the sweet scent.

"What's what?" Clay responded with a raised brow.

"You can't smell that?" Jake breathed, getting up to his feet, sniffing the air around him, "It's incredible. Smells like...oh god...smells like...mate..."

"What?" Clay gasped as Jake continued sniffing the air over the edge of the cliff. "Are you serious?"

Jake couldn't stop breathing the scent in, desperate to follow it, desperate to find his mate, like his instincts were talking for him.

"Jake?" Clay yelled, snapping Jake's attention back to him, as Pooch, Aisha and Cougar ran over to see what was going on.

"Shit, the target?" Jake fumbled, quickly grasping at the binoculars on the floor, realising he'd completely lost track of his mission.

"Forget about the target!" Clay ordered, brows and lips raised in amusement, "Did you say mate? Did you. Jake Jensen. Absolute loser and failure with women. Just say that you smell your mate?"

"Uhh ..yeah I did." Jake said shyly, scratching at the back of his neck, "I think."

The team shared surprised glances between each other while Jake rocked on his feet nervously.

"You think?" Clay responded.

"I mean yeah I can smell someone strong." He shrugged, "Smells like cherries, vanilla, makes me wanna go home, but that home is wherever that smell is. Is that...normal?"

"Well shit Jensen!" Clay exclaimed with a grin, clapping Jake on the shoulder and shaking him as Jake smiled with a blush.

"Congratulations man!" Pooch cheered, whilst Cougar offered Jake a nod of his head.

"New mission fellas," Clay announced, "We're gonna go find Jakey boys mate."

"But..the target..." Jake argued feebly.

"The target can wait! Need to find your mate before she smells you and realises you're a loser. " Clay teased, ruffling Jakes hair, while he batted him away.

"Ha. Funny." Jake deadpanned, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Just kidding buddy, I'm happy for ya." Clay said sincerely before looking at the other losers and clapping his hands together loudly, "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go find Jensen's omega."

The group whooped and cheered as they made quick work of packing up their gear, ready to start a new mission. A mission that would lead to you.

"This way." Jake ordered desperately, hanging his head out of the passenger side window, sniffing the air frantically while Pooch drove, "Shit she's close."

They pulled into a small culdesac, idling along slowly as Jake scented the area. As they pulled up beside one of the large houses, his body stiffened, filled with anticipation and want.

"This is it." He rasped nervously, "This house. Shes here."

Pooch pulled along the curb and Jake jumped out, followed by Clay and Aisha, while the other two watched on from the truck.

They stopped at the gate and Jake's hand stilled on the white picket fence,

"Fuck. Do I look okay?" He rambled, "Do I smell okay? What do I say?"

"He's losing it." Clay smirked in amusement.

"Move out of the way." Aisha scolded, nudging Clay back so she could place a comforting hand on Jake's arm as he looked longingly at your front door. "Hey, Jake?"

"Yeah." He grumbled.

"Calm down okay." Aisha coaxed softly, "You're gonna do great, she's your mate, she's gonna love you. Just be yourself."

"Right. Myself." Jake mumbled to himself, "I can do that. Sure. Here goes nothing."

He pushed the gate open while Clay and Aisha watched on proudly from the opening like adoring parents.

His hands shook and his heartbeat quickened the closer he got to the door, your scent luring him in like a siren.

His fist raised and he shook his head, scolding himself for being so nervous. He was an alpha, he could do this, he'd told himself.

The knock vibrated through the door and Jake waited with bated breath as he heard the sounds of small feet scampering along wooden floors, before the latch clicked.

Meanwhile you had been restless all day, your neck had been throbbing right over the spot where mating glands appear and you felt like lightning had shot through your whole body, like it knew something was coming.

When the door rattled later on that day, your body stilled, eyes widening in fear before a soothing smell permeated the air.

As you inhaled your breath hitched and your throat tightened, a tear slipping over your cheek as the smell of old wood and spice called out to you, mate.

You knew you shouldn't move closer, you knew you should turn around and walk away, but you couldn't stop your feet as they pattered towards the wooden door, towards home.

You shakily pulled on the lock, and opened the door, eyes falling onto the most beautiful man you'd ever seen in your life. From his blond tips and goatee down to his board shorts and flip flops. Everything about him was just.. right, but nothing was ever that simple.

"Hello can I help you?" You squeaked nervously, tamping down the desperate urge to jump into the alphas arms.

"Hi, uhh I'm Jake. Jensen. Jake Jensen." Jake rambled, scratching the back of his neck nervously, as his whole body flooded with warmth at the sound of your voice and the sight of your beauty, "Shit. Sorry I'm nervous. You're beautiful. Fuck."

"Let her talk Jake!" Clay yelled from the gateway and Jake let out a nervous huff of laughter while you watched on with a lump in your throat.

"Sorry. Hi." He repeated shyly, lips curving up into a gorgeous welcoming smile.

"Hi. I don't..." You breathed nervously, suddenly aware of the open street and the rules you'd broken, "You can't be here."

"What?" Jake almost whimpered in dejection from those few words alone.

"You need to leave." You rasped desperately, "Now."

"But..I'm..and you're...I..." Jake mumbled as his eyes narrowed and the smile slipped from his face.

"He'll be home soon, if he smells you..." You pleaded, holding back the tears that threatened to fall, "Please...I can't do this...I have to go."

You slammed the door quickly, quickly closing the lock.

"Well shit." Jake huffed before stomping down the path with his head lowered.

"What happened?" Clay asked, worry painting his face.

"She told me to leave." Jake muttered.

"What?" Aisha gasped in shock, following behind him as he made his way back to the van.

"Yeah. I dunno." He muttered shakily, "She seemed scared. Could smell it on her."

"Scared of you?" Clay queried with a raised brow.

"I dunno. But I don't think I wanna give up." Jake sighed, "Sorry. I know that sounds stupid."

"Not stupid Jake." Aisha comforted.

"They got a hotel round here?" Clay asked, directing his attention to Pooch and Cougar.

"Two blocks away, four rooms, already on it." Pooch confirmed, not even glancing up from the phone in his hand as he typed away.

"Thanks guys." Jake smiled sadly.

"No problem," Clay replied, placing a comforting hand on Jake's shoulder, "We'll figure it out."

You collapsed against the back of the door, breath heaving and heart hammering. You had just seen your mate. Yours. But how?

You'd always been told you wouldn't have one. You were broken, not complete, a worthless omega.

You'd spent your teen life watching from the sidelines as your peers went through puberty, experiencing their first ruts and heats with excitement as they finally found out their designations.

Meanwhile, you were carted around to different doctors by your alpha mother and beta father, having test after test to find out what was wrong.

The results were conclusive, you would never have a heat, you would never get your mating glands, you could never bare pups. Although it had been obvious from your anatomy and profile that you should have presented as omega, it's like your body just stopped there, like it gave up and didn't provide you with anything else, you didn't even have a smell, so how this alpha found you you didn't know.

Your mother and father abandoned you soon after, a broken omega wasn't what they'd dreamt of, didn't fit into your mother's picture perfect life, so at the age of 18, you were on your own.

Now here you were at almost 30 and you were more confused than ever. Why would fate give you a mate only for you to never be good enough, for you to not be able to do what an omega should do for their alpha. The thought alone had your neck pulsing and throbbing once more as you sobbed against the door.

"Honey!" Grant called as he stepped over the threshold of your home.

You quickly tucked the bleach into the cupboard, hoping all your frantic cleaning had been enough to dampen the overwhelming smell of the alpha that had been near your home, despite wanting to soak in his scent.

"Hey, you're home." You smiled feebly as he crossed into the kitchen, his nose wrinkled and a scowl on his face.

"What the fuck is that smell?" He snarled angrily as he crossed the space, wrinkles forming over his hairless head as he continued to scrunch up his face in disgust.

"What smell?" You said anxiously, playing with your shaky hands behind your back as your heart rate accelerated, "I don't smell anything."

"Don't play fucking dumb with me bitch, I smell another alpha." He yelled, stomping over to you and taking your arm in his fist, "You had a man in here?"

"No. I promise I haven't." You began to plead, "There was a guy, he knocked on the door that's it, I sent him away I promise."

"Do you realise how lucky you are that I chose you?" Grant snarled, nose touching yours as he bore down on you, "That I felt sorry for your broken ass and took you in anyway."

"I do." You whimpered, "I know."

You did know how lucky you were. He found you a few years ago and decided to date you despite your flaws, claiming he never wanted kids or the annoying link that came with a mating bond.

He'd had his own bad luck after his own mate rejected him and it felt like fate that you'd met each other at the time.

When his true colours started to show, you made constant excuses for his behaviour blaming yourself for not being good enough, though he made sure to remind you at every opportunity that you were correct and you were lucky to have him.

You'd moved in quickly, after only six months of dating, convinced that he was your only chance, you never imagined that one day you would have a mate of your own, one whom you already felt drawn too, like he could protect you and keep you safe from everyone and everything, including the man now leaving bruises on your arm and frothing at the mouth in temper.

"So why are you lying to me?" He growled, saliva spitting from his mouth, landing on your face.

"I'm not I swear I would never..." You whimpered

His free hand raised, thwacking through the air as his knuckles connected to your cheek with a thud. If it wasn't for his hold on you, you would have probably ended up on the floor.

"Lying fucking bitch!" He yelled while tears began pooling in your eyes and your cheek throbbed, "His smell is all over you!"

"I didn't..I..." You stammered as a lump travelled up your throat, trying desperately to plead your innocence. You knew you never should have opened that door, he didn't like when you did.

"Shut up!" He commanded.

Your jaw snapped shut, body going rigid and tears streaming down your face from the alpha command.

"Better." He growled, "Now get your ass up stairs and present for your alpha. I'm gonna show you just what happens when you let another alpha touch you."

On the other side of town, Jake was pacing back and forth in the hotel bar while most of his teammates sat with their drinks of choice.

"Something's wrong." He muttered, hands gripping his hips, "Clay. Something's wrong. I can feel it. I don't know how but I can."

"Calm down Jensen." Clay responded from his seat, "What do you mean something's wrong?"

Jake shook his head at the ground, feet still moving of their own accord as his body filled with a horrible feeling that he couldn't understand, he just knew he needed to get to you.

"I don't know," He sighed, "I just feel it. She's hurting. She's scared."

"Cougar is on lookout, he'd report if something happened, last we heard she was still at home." Clay attempted to reassure him.

Jake stilled in front of Clay, eyes widened in fear, "I'm telling you clay, something's wrong. We gotta get over there."

"Just...hang on..." Clay ordered softly, pulling his phone from his pocket and quickly pressing it to his ear, "Cougar, do you have eyes on the target?"

"Still at home, no change." Cougar confirmed through the phone.

"See, she's home." Clay sighed at Jake, pressing his lips in a flat line.

"Clay. Please?" Jake pleaded, watching as Clay's resolve snapped and his need to help his teammate and friend took over.

"Fuck fine. Okay." He said with a nod, jumping from his seat before turning to Aisha and Pooch, "Stay here. It's probably nothing. The two of us will go and Cougar will watch our six."

They responded with nods as Jake muttered impatiently to himself, "Okay. Okay. Let's go."

"Jensen. Calm down." Clay said softly, placing his hand on Jake's shoulder as they made their way to the exit of the hotel.

"Calm down." Jake mumbled anxiously, "Right. Yup. On it."

You were curled in a ball on the bed, naked and covered in bruises from the hits you'd taken. Your pussy was sore and leaking with cum while your whole body shook from the fear.

Grant was stood at the end of the bed, tucking his shirt back into his pants with a proud smile on his face whenever he glanced back at your quivering form.

Suddenly your mating gland spot began throbbing again and you jumped when a loud knock resonated from downstairs.

Grant tutted in disapproval before sending a warning snarl your way and heading out of the room.

The knock sounded again and Grant threw the door open, eyes falling on Jake and Clay who stood in the doorway, Clay's hands tucked into his trousers while Jake looked around nervously.

"What do you want?" He snapped, eyes narrowing on the two while his nostrils flared, "Who the hell are you?"

"Hello sir my name is Clay." Clay replied calmly with a smile on his face, "Me and my friend here are new to the neighbourhood and just wanted to introduce ourselves, right Jake?"

"Right, yeah." Jake muttered, glancing behind Grant into the house.

Grant inhaled, eyes zeroing in on Jake as his fists clenched.

"You!" He yelled, pointing a finger in the other alphas face, "You were here earlier!"

"Uhh...well I mean..." Jake stuttered nervously, looking over at Clay for support, as he tried to work out how to play the scenario out.

"You the one sniffing near my woman?" Grant snarled.

"Your woman?" Jake said back with an underbite of something possessive and angry at the new information.

"Yeah, my fucking woman!" Grant continued.

"Well funny story," Clay chuffed, "Jensen here is actually her mate, so if you don't mind we'd just like to talk to her, check she's okay."

"Mate?" Grant snorted in amusement, "She can't have a mate."

"What do you mean?" Jake replied in confusion.

"Ha!" Grant laughed loudly, "You think you're gonna come here and find some perfect omega to take away and cherish? Sorry to disappoint you but she's a mess, she's broken, incomplete."

Jake's fists began to clench, body tightening as Grant spoke so unkindly about his mate, the woman he already couldn't stop thinking about.

"No mating glands, no smell, never had a heat." Grant continued with a smirk, "She's useless. Can't even do what an omega should. She's lucky I took pity on her ass."

"Stop." Jake muttered before narrowing his eyes on Grant and deepening his tone, "Stop talking about her like that."

"What? You defending her already?" Grant scoffed, "Trust me when you know how pathetic she is you won't want her either."

You whimpered in pain on the bed as your body began to convulse. Pain seared through your bones, neck throbbing and body weakening, something was wrong, something more than just the bruises you'd been left with.

"What the fuck? Is she okay?" Jake yelled, hearing your cries from the upstairs of the home, "Let me see her!"

He attempted to step inside the door, only to be pushed back by the other alpha harshly.

"Stay the fuck out of my house. She's fine." Grant sneered, "Just got taught a lesson about letting other alphas near her."

"You fucking asshole!" Jake yelled angrily, instincts going haywire that his mate needed him, that he needed to protect her.

There was no warning before the first crack of Jake's fist landed across Grant's jaw, forcing him to stumble back into the home.

Grant let out an angry snarl before launching himself back at the other man, punching him in the stomach. Jake retaliated in kind, unleashing his fists onto the other man as he continued to try and gain access to the house.

You heard the commotion between the waves of nausea and dizziness, slowly making your way to the stairs where your eyes fell on the scene of the brawl on the lower floor.

"Grant." You whimpered.

All of a sudden, three sets of eyes snapped to you, bodies stilling as they watched your body turn white.

"Something's wrong." You whispered before you collapsed to the ground with a thud.

Your eyes flickered open, pain throbbing through your core and a dull ache on your neck. When they focused, you looked around the sterile room as your heart hammered in fear, confusion filling your mind as you recalled being at home and now you were somewhere else entirely.

You looked to the side, suddenly noticing a figure sitting on a chair a couple of feet away, blonde hair running through thick fingers while his elbows rested on his knees.

You cleared your throat dryly and Jake's head raised, eyes snapping to yours and relief washing through his body.

"Hey, you're awake." He said as the tension dropped from his shoulders.

He quickly shuffled his chair closer to the bed and took your hand in his, pleased when you didn't try to shrug him off.

You felt the roughness of his hands against your own and a blush rose up your chest.

"What happened?" You rasped, "Where's Grant?"

"Far away from here if he knows what's good for him." Jake scoffed with a furrow in his brow, as his thumb rubbed gently over your knuckles.

"What do you mean?" You whimpered in confusion.

"Sweetheart....Shit sorry." He mumbled to himself before turning to you with a serious expression, "But listen. You're my mate, mine. I'm not gonna stand by and watch that man beat you to death. I had to get rid of him, to keep you safe. You're mine and I want you, if you'll have me."

"You don't understand." You sniffed as a tear fell onto your cheek, "I'm not.. I'm not right."

As much as you wanted to be free from Grant, to fall into the arms of this alpha who looked at you like you hung the moon, you knew he didn't understand how wrong he was about you, you weren't right for him.

"I know about your problems." He admitted and your eyes widened in surprise, mouth dropping open as he continued, "I know and I don't care. I want you and I'll never treat you like that. I promise."

You felt a sob rip through your chest. Could you really be with your mate, could he really look past everything and take you as you were, could you be free?

"Okay..." You whispered shyly.

"Okay?" Jake repeated, lips curling up into a grin.

You nodded, blush spreading across your cheeks before your brows furrowed once more, mind racing over everything that had happened.

"How...how did you find me?" You asked curiously.

"Smelt you a mile away." Jake grinned, "I knew right then I had to find you."

"You...you smelt me..." You gasped in surprise, "But I..I don't..."

The door to your room swung open and a short beta man in a white coat walked in, clipboard in hand and a friendly smile on his face.

"Good morning, you're awake, fantastic." The doctor beamed as he crossed the space, stopping in front of the bed.

Jake's hand clutched supportively on your hand as you both looked up at the doctor with worry placing your brows.

"We found the cause of the collapse." He began, "Thankfully none of your injuries are life threatening, just bruising."

"So what happened?" You rasped nervously.

"Your body was flooded with hormones, it overtook your whole system and it was a lot to take at once." He replied, flicking the paper on the clipboard with a hum.

You only grew more confused at what the doctor was saying.

"Hormones? I don't..." You mumbled.

"Yep." The doctor smiled, "I looked over your file. Seems your last doctor was wrong, you are a perfectly healthy omega, just a late bloomer it seems. Something must have happened because it's all kicking in at once."

Jake gaped at the doctor wide eyed, flicking back to your confused expression.

"Kicking in?" You replied with a squirm.

"Yep, your glands have come in," He nodded, pointing to your neck, "Practically overnight and you are in the early stages of your first heat."

"What? Heat?" You panicked suddenly, completely overwhelmed and confused, "But I can't...I don't..."

"Doctor. I think..maybe this is a bit overwhelming..." Jake interrupted, squeezing your hand in his once more, immediately helping to calm you, "Could you slow it down a bit?"

"Right of course." The doctor sighed with a caring smile, "Has anything changed recently in your life? Anything big?"

You looked back at Jake, heart warming at just the mere sight of him and swallowed thickly.

"I'm her mate." Jake nodded, "We just met."

"That'll do it." The doctor chuckled, "It seems that the introduction of your mate has triggered your hormones to finally do what they are supposed to do."

It couldn't be could it? All you needed all this time was Jake.

"Really?" You squeaked.

"Yes, your glands are now fully formed and you are in the first stage of coming into heat." The doctor repeated more clearly and slowly this time.

"I'm not...broken?" You whispered, feeling Jake's hand clutch tightly around yours.

"You're a perfectly healthy omega and your body is doing all the things it should." The doctor said softly.

You let out a whimper as tears began to trickle down your cheeks, but not from fear, for the first time in so long, there were tears of real joy.

"Do you have somewhere safe you can go to make it through your heat?" The doctor asked and your gaze snapped to his.

"I...I don't.." You panicked, remembering that your home wasn't your home anymore.

"You can stay with me." Jake offered shyly, "If you want. I mean..you don't have too."

"Yes. Please." You gasped without a second's thought, knowing your alpha would keep you safe.

"Okay." Jake smiled, "Then you will."

"Okay wonderful," The doctor said happily, "Well in that case I just have some paperwork for you to sign and you're free to go."

"Okay, I have my shirts, some blankets, hot water bottle, water, snacks, a couple new stuffies, we've got the fan if you get too hot, the heater if you get too cold, the TV if you get bored." Jake reeled off nervously, looking around the secure hotel room while you sat back on the bed, watching him with a smile tugging at your lips, "Shit is that everything..."

"Jake." You called out.

"Yeah?" He sighed, placing his hands on his hips as he continued cataloguing the items he'd prepared for you.

"You need to relax." You chuffed.

"I'm sorry." He said, exhaling a breath before finally looking back at you, body softening at the sight of your smile, "I just...I want everything to be perfect for you, I wanna make sure you have everything you could possibly need so you're comfortable and happy."

"You've done more for me in the last day than anyone else has my whole life." You responded shyly.

"I would do anything for you." Jake replied without skipping a breath, like it was the most obvious statement in the world, while tears pooled in your eyes, "And I'm sorry no one else did."

"It's not your fault." You sniffed, swiping your tears away with your fingers.

"Well I'm here now." He said crossing the space, sitting on the edge of the bed and placing his hand in yours, "You're my mate, I'll always take care of you."

You lept forward, throwing your arms around his neck and settling yourself in his lap. You buried your head against his soft shirt, inhaling his soothing scent with a content hum.

Jake's eyes widened in surprise but he quickly recovered, wrapping his arms around your waist and holding you against him whilst savouring how right it felt to have you there.

You pulled your head back, looking deep into Jake's eyes, seeing nothing but care, admiration and something soft and deeper. Everything about him screamed safety and you could already feel your stomach tightening at the mere sight of him.

Jake's throat bobbed as he gazed back at you, palms twitching against your waist like he was holding himself back.

"Can I...can I kiss you?" He whispered softly, "Is that okay?"

You mewled deep in your throat at the request, breath caught in your lungs.

"Please." You gasped.

He breached the gap calmly, gently pressing his lips to yours and sighing into the kiss, pressing your body tightly against his chest. A quiet whimper broke from your throat at the feel of his plush lips on yours and you clutched your arms tightly around his neck.

Your lips began working against eachother slowly, soft flesh parting as you swallowed eachothers gasps before his tongue carefully slid into your mouth.

You let out a low hum as you finally got a proper taste of him, minty and fresh and so perfect. You pressed your tongue against his, grinding down in his lap as the kiss became hungrier and you felt slick leak into your panties.

"Mmm baby..." Jake mumbled against your lips, before pulling back with a pant, "Your heats starting."

"How do you know?" You asked breathlessly, eyes wide and face flushed from your make out session.

"I can smell it, fuck." Jake groaned in a low tone, "Maybe I shouldn't be here, I don't know if I'll be able to control myself. You smell so good already."

His arms began to slip from around you, attempting to let you up so he could give you space.

"So don't." You breathed, holding him tighter so he wouldn't let you go .

"Okay," He sighed with a sullen nod, "I'll go but you call me if you need any..."

"Jake, I meant don't control yourself." You smiled softly at his misinterpretation, "I want you to be here, I want to do this together."

"Fuck, are you sure?" He gasped, eyes searching your own for any sign of nerves or hesitance, for any sign that you weren't truly ready to be his.

"I am." You replied confidently.

"Okay." Jake grinned, "Then we're doing this."

An hour later you were laid back on the bed as painful cramps tore through your stomach in relentless waves.

You were surrounded by Jake's scent, his shirts lying around you like a protective barrier, while the man himself paced back and forth at the end of the bed like he was holding onto the last of his self restraint.

"Oh god. It hurts so bad." You whined, writhing around while sweat pooled on your brow.

"It's okay baby I got you." Jake said softly, despite the tick in his jaw and his rock hard cock pressing into his shorts, "What do you need? More water? I can get you a cold towel or a..."

"Need you Jake." You pleaded up at him with wide, water filled eyes, "Please."

"Fuck. Yes. Okay." He muttered, tearing his clothes from his body before they could glue themselves to his skin and he thudded over to the bed, "I'm coming. I'll look after you."

He crawled into bed next to you, cock pressing hard and weeping against your thigh. His lips crazed the skin of your neck while his fingertips brushed along your thigh, gently tickling over your slick clit.

The small contact alone had a breath of relief leaving your lungs and you bucked your hips up to get more.

"Does that feel okay?" He whispered against your neck.

"More Jake, need more." You whined desperately, bucking your hips again.

"Okay I got you baby." Jake said with a smirk at your desperation, "Here you go."

He slipped two fingers over your pussy lips before pushing them straight into your core, while you let out a satisfied groan, releasing more slick over his knuckles.

"Oh god." You groaned, back arching to chase the pleasure.

"There we go, that feel better baby?" Jake purred as he worked his fingers in and out of you, "You're sucking my fingers all the way up in there."

"Mmm so good." You moaned, loving the way he scissored his fingers inside of you, getting you ready to take his cock.

You'd never felt anything like it, never enjoyed sex, never got slick, never felt pleasure, you just did it to keep Grant happy. Now you understood what you'd been missing as Jake drove you towards the edge of an abyss you were desperate to disappear into.

Jake slipped another finger into your core, watching with darkened eyes and his mouth agape as you gushed around his hand, submitting to the pleasure only he could give you.

"Alpha." You gasped and Jake groaned deep in his throat, cock leaking over your thigh.

"What is it omega?" He purred lowly, "Tell me what you need."

"Need your knot alpha, please." You whined impatiently.

Jake's last shred of restraint snapped and his fingers left you the second the words left your lips.

He hovered over you, arms braced either side of your head and looking down at you like a man who'd been starved for years and you were the first morsel of food he'd seen.

"Last chance to back out baby, if you want me to stop." He offered with a ragged breath.

"Please alpha." You whimpered with a pout.

He surged down onto you, slipping his tongue straight into your throat as you gasped and he rutted his cock against your folds, nudging your clit.

You moaned against him, feeling his lips curve up into a smile.

When the head of his cock pushed through your folds, your lips parted from each other's while you let out a loud groan at the stretch, the girth of him like nothing you'd ever felt but so perfect.

"Fuck 'mega." He mumbled, burying his face in the crook of your neck and taking your hps in his strong palms.

With a few incredibly sensational thrusts, he buried himself inside of you, letting out a satisfied breath of relief when his cock was fully seated inside your wet cavern.

You could only mewl, whimper and moan as he began a fast pace with his hips, pistoning himself inside of you and slamming against your cervix.

"Gonna fill you up 'mega, gonna take my knot so good." He groaned into your skin.

Every slam of his hips sent you closer and closer to the edge, bliss just a stones throw away. You threw your arms around his back, clinging onto him like you were afraid to let go of the one thing keeping you anchored to earth.

"Gonna mate you 'mega, gonna claim you." Jake continued in a lust fueled rant, as he too was overtaken by the sexual bliss your cunt was providing him.

"Please alpha." You whined, "Wanna be yours."

Jake's head snapped back, staring you directly in the eyes as his breath left his lungs.

"You really want that?" He gasped almost shyly, despite currently dominating every part of you.

"Yeah," You breathed back, "I want too Jake, I wanna be yours."

"Oh fuck." He groaned happily, shoving his face back into your neck as he rutted harder and faster before, knot beginning to swell inside of you, stretching you in the way only he could.

A few moments later, you let out a cry of pleasure, when Jake's teeth grazed against your mating gland, before sinking in slowly.

Your cunt pulsed at the sensation, body filling with his essence, with everything that was him, his safety, his care, his strength, his love.

Your coil snapped and your pussy clamped down on his cock as the blissful high washed over your body.

Jake's cock twitched in response, knot full and locking inside you as he reached his own orgasm and began filling you with ropes and ropes of warm alpha come.

Electricity zipped through your spine, brain fuzzing and ears warming as your orgasm rushed through you, eliminating all of the pain you had been experiencing not long before.

When it washed over you, you slumped back against the mattress, panting heavily, eyes glazed with happiness.

Jake released your skin from his teeth, carefully lapping up the small pool of blood before placing a tender kiss against your mating gland.

His cock stayed nestled inside you, locking you together while he continued to fill you with his seed.

"You okay?" He whispered, placing a palm along your jaw softly.

"More than okay." You smiled, "Better than I've ever been."

Everything tag - @late-to-the-party-81

@the-wandering-wonder @rnurse-kole @chemtrails-club @marvelgurl

GENERAL EVENT DETAILS

When: August 15-18 *Writing challenge submissions will be accepted through the end of August (or later if needed).

How to Participate: 

🎁 Birthday Gifts aka the writing challenge 🎉 Party Favors aka Submit Your Superior AI Custom Order

🎁 BIRTHDAY GIFTS (AKA THE WRITING CHALLENGE) 🎁

Rules for Fic Entries:

500 word minimum, 5,000 word max. (Please put your story under a cut after 150 words.)

Original works only. If your story is part of a series, it must be able to be read as a standalone piece.

Please tag me @stargazingfangirl18 when posting your story.

Include the tag #happy birthday siri 2026 on the original post of your fic (not on reblogs or reblog replies, please.)

Any genre accepted! Can be fluff, angst, smut, comedy, AU, dark, soft!dark, whatever you want.

Please stick to the CE characters listed below, and no RPF.

Reader insert stories only. LGBTQ+, BIPOC, & interracial stories are welcome and encouraged!

No toilet stuff, no necrophilia, no snuff, or bestiality. Non-con and dub-con must fall within commonly posted dark fics. (FYI: I personally don’t read daddy kink, mommy kink, spit kink, lactation kink, harsh degradation, dumbification, or anything focusing on health/illnesses/medical details/scenarios.) 

Please include warnings as needed for explicit language, explicit sexual content, non-con, dub-con, dark fic, trigger warnings, 18+, etc.

Odds & Ends:

Each writer can submit a maximum of 3 stories.

Writers DO NOT need to claim prompts.

Smut writers and characters must be 18+.

Writers can also submit a Superior AI Custom Order but please keep it to one submission per person.

You do not need to write smut, I know it’s not everyone’s jam. 

I reserve the right to not read or reblog anything that makes me uncomfortable.

Writing Challenge Babes & Prompts

BABES

Andy Barber

Ari Levinson

Bryce Langley

Cole Turner

Curtis Everett

Frank Adler

Jake Jensen

Lloyd Hansen

Pete Brenner

Ransom Drysdale

Reverend Drew

Robert Pronge (aka Mr. Freezy)

Steve Rogers

PROMPTS

Pick at least 1 prompt. You can pick more than 1, and you don’t need to claim prompts:

SCENARIOS:

Being a predatory babe’s prey (in a sexy way, not a hungry way lolll)

Sweet and/or Vulnerable!Reader x Scary!Hot!Babe

Being blackmailed by someone unlikely 

Scary babe is only soft with you

Commitment phobe!babe is high key obsessed with you

A titillating encounter with a monster!babe

You’re an actual human disaster, but soft!dark babe finds it charming

Emotional constipation

Making a deal with the devil

Meet!oops or fail

Sacrificing yourself to a dangerous babe to save someone else

Being betrayed by someone you trust

DIALOGUE:

“I was just going to punish you, but now? Now I’m going to annihilate you.”

“Oh my god, how can someone be so fucking oblivious?!”

“You have no idea what your scent does to me.”

“That’s it! I’m done! No more adulting, no more responsibilities, no more anything! We’re just going to lay here and cuddle and hide from the rest of the world.”

 “You picked the wrong man to steal from.”

“I have no idea what the future holds, but what I do know is that I want you by my side for every second of it.”

“I’ve never had someone so innocent, but by the time I’m done with you, you’ll be as corrupted as me.”

“Did you just… propose to me?”

“You know I reward loyalty and good work, and I thought she would make such a sweet, pretty gift.”

“Please, just give me one more chance. I know I can be better, for you. I would do anything for you.”

“The only thing you have to offer that’s of any interest to me is that sweet, warm place between your legs. So strip and show me just how badly you need my help.”

“I know I’m the last person you want to see right now, but we really need to talk.” 

KINKS:

Breeding kink (non-pregnancy version)

Size kink

Praise kink

Somnophilia

Prone bone

Squirting

Manhandling

Oral sex (f receiving)

Anal play/sex

Overstimulation 

Monster fucking 

Creampie

TROPES:

Omegaverse

Mob AU

Good girl x bad boy

Biker AU

Delulu babe or Reader

Mercenary AU

Human disaster!Reader or babe

Conqueror AU

Friends to lovers

Sugar daddy/baby AU

Guard dog!Babe

CEO AU

🎉 PARTY FAVORS (AKA SUBMIT YOUR SUPERIOR AI CUSTOM ORDER) 🎉

Rules for Submission:

Submissions will only be accepted during the event dates of August 15-18. Those sent before or after those dates will be discarded. 

You must submit your order by sending me an ask that answers the questions below.

There is a limit of 1 submission per person (please respect this limit, even if you request on anon; I don’t want to be overwhelmed or stressed).

Odds & Ends:

If you’re new to my Superior AI verse, you can check it out here.

Even if your babe of choice isn’t an AI in my verse, you can still request them for your custom order. Think of these resulting drabbles as AU :) 

I may not get to every submission within the event timeframe, but I’ll try my best to answer all of them eventually, so please be patient.

Submit Your Superior AI Custom Order Form

Send me an ask with the following info, and I will write a (likely AU) Superior AI verse drabble starring the CE!babe of your choice! I’ve written these questions in one paragraph to make it easier for you to copy/paste, but you can space them out when you send your ask. Thank you! 

Superior AI Custom Order Request: 1) Your CE!babe of choice (If you’d rather I pick the babe for you, let me know). 2) What are the top 3 reasons why you are ordering an AI? 3) Soft, soft!dark, or dark? 4) Smut or no smut?

Thank youuu. But also, happy birthday to me 🫠 lolll.

—

Tagging some fellow hoes who may be interested or want to signal boost the event, no pressure though! (Sorry if I forgot anyone, I’m awful at tagging lol.) ❤️

"Oh god baby, you're gonna have to stop." Bucky rasped as you ground yourself down on his lap.

You were still fully clothed, both of you caught up in the moment the second your lips pressed against each other's for the first time.

The pining had gone on too long, building up into something uncontrollably feral and tonight both of your resolves had snapped.

The problem with that kind of gut wrenching tension that burns in your very core like an active volcano, is that within minutes of your covered cunt making contact with his rock hard cock hidden beneath his dark jeans, he was ready to bust.

He inwardly cursed himself for having the restraint of a prepubescent teenager before finding the courage to ask you to stop, to slow down so that he didn't disappoint you after all this time. He should have known that you would never see it that way, you weren't like that.

"You okay?" You asked, with worry laced between your brows as you stopped your movements and pulled back to search his face.

"Yeah I'm fine. This is great, really." He replied with a hitch in his throat, tightening his palms against your hips in fear you would just jump off him and leave, "I just...fuck...you feel too good sweetheart...I don't think I'll last if you keep moving on me like that."

"That's so hot." You breathed as you stared back at him, watching his features change from worry to amusement in mere seconds.

"Hot? Sweetheart I'm about to bust in my jeans without getting my cock anywhere near you and you think that's hot?" He said in amusement, lip twitching at the corner as you nodded with a wide grin.

"Do I think it's hot..." You breathed, dipping back down to suck on his ear love, hearing him groan low in his chest, hips bucking up into you involuntarily, "That you're so attracted to me, that just me sitting on you can make you cum."

He inhaled a deep breath, voice catching in his throat as you began grinding your core against him once more, placing kisses along his stubbled jaw and neck before nibbling at the skin.

"Fuck baby." Bucky groaned, feeling his cock twitch under you, the pressure of your body on his pushing him closer and closer to the edge.

"It's okay Bucky," You moaned into his neck, feeling arousal pool in your panties from his desperation and the feel of his body against yours, "Let me make you feel good."

"God, you are baby. Feels so good." He groaned, tilting his hips up to meet your pelvis once more and making you let out an involuntary pleasurable gasp at the contact.

You pulled back, your own eyes flicking between his deep blue orbs as his mouth hung agape, small groans slipping from between the flesh as you moved your body over his, pushing him closer and closer to the edge.

"You're mine now, you know that right." Bucky whispered up at you, adoration filling his gaze.

"All yours bucky, I've always been yours." You whimpered.

He slipped one hand up your spine until it rested between your shoulders and he pushed your body into his, pressing his lips against yours with a satisfied hum.

His groans got louder in your mouth, hips getting more desperate as your tongue melded to his and you let out your own mewls and whimpers, clutching desperately at his shoulders to make sure this was real, this was finally happening.

Bucky gasped, hands twitching were they splayed and head pulling back to stare in your eyes as his cock juddered, spilling warm ropes of cum into his underwear.

You worked him through it, pressing soft kisses to his cheek, jaw and lips while he came down from his high, before you finally stilled and he pulled you against him, cuddling you against his chest.

You sighed against him with a soft smile, burying your face into the crook of his neck, feeling his chest move up and down as his breathing steadied.

"Fuck." He murmured, pressing his lips to your forehead, "That was..."

"Long overdue." You whispered happily.

"I owe you one now sweetheart." He promised with a smirk, "Fuck I owe you as many orgasms as you can handle."

You giggled against him, feeling his lips curve into a wide smile against your skin before they pursed and pressed a long drawn out kiss there.

His palms rubbed the length of your back, body's fitting together like they always should have.

"We've got all the time in the world." He whispered, pressing another kiss to your scalp, "Always gonna be yours sweetheart, always."

Everything tag - @late-to-the-party-81

@the-wandering-wonder @rnurse-kole @chemtrails-club @marvelgurl

SS Tag - @buckysdecaflove

It had been a hell of a party, celebrating your latest victory at Avengerz HQ with your teammates.

Yelena had convinced you to go against her in a drinking contest and you had no idea why you thought agreeing to go up against a russian was a good idea.

Now you were stumbling through the Avengerz compound with Bucky's arm around your waist as he guided you to your room, insisting you were too drunk and he wanted to make sure you got back safely.

His earthy smell was all around you, making you intoxicated from his proximity as well as the alcohol coursing through your veins and you could feel the heat pulsing beneath his palm on your waist while you drunkenly rambled at him.

"I feel bad for you ya know?" You mumbled.

Bucky glanced over at you, brow raised in confusion at your sudden change of topic. How the conversation went from grumpy cat to him, he'd never know.

"You do?" He replied.

"Uh huh." You shrugged simply, as though the statement was completely obvious, missing the way his face dropped, mind running straight to the most obvious thing.

He hated that you felt that way, that you pitied what had happened to him. He didn't want your pity, he didn't want you to feel bad on his behalf.

"Right. Of course." He mumbled, pressing his lips together.

"No Bucky no!" You moaned as you looked up at his sad little pout, "Don't pull a sad face. Some regular non super human people can't get drunk either."

"That's what you're talking about?" He grunted back.

"Uh huh." You nodded as you continued wobbling forward, "Being drunk is great."

"I'm not sure you'll be saying that tomorrow." He said, the corner of his lips tugging up in amusement.

"Pshhh, live in the now Bucky." You grinned animatedly, "Now is great."

"It sure is." He smiled back, looking over your blushed face longer than a friend should.

"God you're so muscly." You said suddenly, pulling him from his thoughts as you stopped before him and grabbed his bicep.

"You know I'm a super soldier right?" He smirked.

"Mmm..." You nodded, running your palm along the length of his arm with your tongue slowly swiping your lower lip.

"Sweetheart?" Bucky laughed and your face snapped back to his, a deeper crimson flush spreading over your cheeks.

"Oh hey, sorry." You mumbled, "I was just looking."

"Just looking, right." He teased before placing his arm back around your waist and pushing you along the corridor, back on track.

"I wanna lick em." You mumbled to yourself.

"Lick what?" Bucky grinned and you looked back up at him with wide eyes.

"Your muscles." You shrugged, "They look lickable, you're very lickable."

"Okay, sure." He smiled.

"If I lick it, is it mine?" You smiled playfully.

"What?" He mused as you reached your door, quickly pushing it open to get you into to your room.

"You never saw that meme?" You asked as he helped you over the threshold and guided you to sit on the edge of your bed.

"What the hell is a meme?" He grimaced, as though the word alone had personally offended him.

You chuckled loudly as he crossed his arms over his chest with a raised brow, "Sometimes I forget you're old."

"You forget." He repeated.

"Yeah cause you're just so you and handsome and sexy and moody." You giggled, "The old is just extra."

"Moody..." He grumbled before his eyes widened, "Wait, did you say sexy?"

"Mmhmmm very sexy." You nodded, dropping back onto your mattress with a dreamy expression on your face, "Sexy and very lickable."

Bucky looked over you with a smile, unable to contain his emotions at the thought of you finding him attractive. If only he had the courage to act on how he felt, to tell you how he felt about you.

"Right, time for bed." Bucky chuckled.

"But Bucky!" You moaned, sitting back up with a pout, "I don't wanna."

"Well you need to sleep." He replied sternly, though the smile remained on his lips.

"You're mean." You sassed like a toddler, folding your arms over your chest.

"Mean, moody, sexy." He shrugged, crossing the room to your chest of drawers to find you something to change into.

"You forgot annoying." You grunted at him.

"I'll add it to the list." He replied, as he dug through the drawer, fitting into your space like he belonged in it.

"Can I have your shirt?" You grinned suddenly.

"My shirt?" He responded, looking back over his shoulder at you with furrowed brows.

"Yeah I wanna sleep in it." You shrugged like it was the obvious answer.

"Why?" He grumbled.

"Cause it'll smell like you and I can pretend you're in bed with me, holding me." You smiled sweetly.

"Sweetheart..." Bucky breathed, ignoring the way his heart skipped a beat at your statement as he crossed back in front of you, "You're drunk."

"I know that." You pouted, "Doesn't mean I don't want your shirt."

"But you're saying a lot of things you might regret in the morning." He exhaled, running his palm through his hair.

"I've never regretted being in love with you." You said with furrowed brows as Bucky's body froze, "I just wish I could be enough for you too."

"You...you're in love..." He stuttered while you remained completely oblivious to the bombshell you'd just dropped.

"T-shirt!" You whined, extending your arms and flexing your hands to grab at him, "Gimme."

"Fine, fine." He conceded while his heart hammered and his mind raced.

He slipped the T-shirt over his head, passing it over to you and trying to hide his grin when you snatched it from him with a happy squeal.

You raised the fabric to your nose, inhaling deeply with a smile and a sigh, "God you smell so good, like home and sin."

You stumbled onto your feet, attempting to stand and Bucky threw his hand out, catching your elbow to steady you. You suddenly began to slip your own shirt over your body and he spun around so fast he created his own gust of wind.

"I'll just...face...over..yeah..." He swallowed thickly, already cataloguing the small patch of exposed skin he'd seen.

"Wait!" You yelled, stilling your hands.

"What?" Bucky rasped as he turned back to you worriedly, "Are you okay?"

You crossed the small space between you with a mischievous grin and quickly placed your tongue on his exposed chest, trailing it up between the valley of his pecks with a giggle.

"I licked you, so you're mine now." You grinned.

Bucky's mouth was agape, shock painting his features, until it turned into a shy smile, his cheeks and ears tinting red.

"Okay sweetheart." He smiled shyly, before turning back around to let you change.

You slid from your evenings clothes quickly, teetering on your feet like a newborn deer before slipping Bucky's shirt over your head, smiling when it dropped over your ass and you were surrounded in his scent.

You climbed into bed and settled under the duvet with a happy sigh while Bucky turned, assessing you with a nod before heading for the door.

"Bucky?" You called out to him shyly.

"Yeah?" He replied, glancing back at you over his shoulder.

"Will you come see me?" You mumbled, "In the morning? I'll wanna see you but sober me might be too shy to ask."

"Of course." He sighed, "I'll even bring coffee."

"You're the best Bucky." You smiled happily, before sinking further into the mattress, ready for sleep to take you.

"Goodnight sweetheart." Bucky sighed before leaving the room with a smile pulling at his lips.

"Hey you." Bucky grinned as he padded into your room the next morning, extending the to-go cup in his hand, "Coffee."

"Oh god...thank you." You groaned, sitting up on the bed and rubbing your forehead, "My head hurts."

"But being drunk is so fun." Bucky mocked with a smile as he dropped onto the bed next to you, "That's what you said."

"Asshole." You pouted, taking the cup from him and taking a large gulp before raising your brow at him suspiciously, "And why am I in your shirt?"

"You asked for it." Bucky chuckled, "Said you wanted to feel like I was wrapped around you."

"Oh god." You gasped as your face turned a deep marron and your ears went hot, "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be." He laughed before reminding himself that it was now or never, "And just so you know, you are good enough."

"Huh?" You breathed with furrowed brows, feeling heated from the way bucky was looking at you.

"For me, I mean." He confirmed softly, "You're more than good enough, I'm not good enough for you."

"I..you...what..." You stuttered, as you tried to follow what he was getting at.

"You told me you were in love with me." He announced and you felt your soul leave your body, eyes widening and mouth snapping shut in horror.

"I did?" You squeaked.

"You licked me." He grinned.

"Oh my god. I'm so sorry." You gasped, burying your face in your hands, "I'm so embarrassed."

"Don't be." He laughed again before his face softened, "Hey, look at me."

He pulled your hands away from your face, gazing at you with such affection that you thought your heart may combust. He reached out and gently tucked your hair behind your ear, before settling his palm along your jaw.

"You licked me, so I'm yours now, right?" He questioned, eyes flicking between your own and your lips.

"I...please...yes..." You breathed.

"Well then." He smiled and he began to close the gap between you, lips closing in on your own while your breath hitched and your heart skipped a beat.

His lips brushed against yours, pressing the softest kiss against them before he placed another on your cheek, when suddenly his tongue darted out, licking a stripe up the side of your face while you squealed and giggled.

"Bucky!" You giggled manically.

"What?" He chuckled, "Just returning the favour, now you're mine."

You smiled widely, eyes shimmering with glee despite the hangover trying to pierce through your skull.

"Now I'm yours." You grinned.

Everything tag - @late-to-the-party-81

@the-wandering-wonder @rnurse-kole @chemtrails-club @marvelgurl

SS Tag - @buckysdecaflove

You'd been at your new job for a couple of weeks now and had settled in relatively easily, despite the issues the job brought with it.

You walked through the pristine white halls, heels clicking loudly and the distinct smell of cleaning supplies filled your nose, so strong it blocked out anything else.

The term insane asylum had been boycotted years ago, but that's what it was, home to some of the most criminally insane, long abandoned within these walls. The state says it aims to 'help', yet most of these patients are here for the long haul, lucky if they ever get to see freedom again, although its hard to find sympathy when some of them are guilty of the most obscene crimes.

You entered the rec room where a handful of patients were spread out joining in with activites. The centre only allowed a maximum of 10 patients in a communal space at any one time to reduce "accidents", some patients were never allowed to be in the room together at all.

As always there were 4 guards stationed around the room just in case of incident whilst you and two other colleagues interacted with the patients if they needed you.

You were loitering around, checking on the three patients engaged in a large puzzle together to make sure they were okay when Steve walked in with James Barnes.

James immediately looked your way and you averted your gaze. You didn't know why but he always made you feel nervous. You didn't know whether it was the way he always stared at you or the fact he wouldn't speak a single word to anyone except steve, even then it was usually mutterings or whispers. Or maybe it was the fact that he had been reprimanded for killing over a hundred people, apparently blacking out with each kill.

Steve was by far your favourite colleague, always offering you a hand or advice and generally being a gentleman, not to mention how good looking he was. You wondered why James would speak to him, how long it took Steve to build that rapport with him, despite James unnerving you you still wanted to be able to help him.

He was doing it again, staring at you relentlessly with his brows furrowed and his jaw clenched. When you looked his way and caught his gaze, offering him a small smile, he looked disturbed, turning to Steve and beginning to mutter as Steve placed a calming hand on his shoulder to placate him.

Despite the stares and an elderly patient tossing the puzzle in frustration, it was a fairly calm day and you went home without having to fill in any incident reports, which was always a plus.

A few days later you were supervising lunch time for some patients. James was amongst them, sat on his own at a table with his head down as he ate his food.

Lunchtimes were the most peaceful part of the day and so it was only you and one other colleague, though you had panic buttons available should you need assistance. It had never worried you, as there were only 4 or 5 patients in and out of the lunch hall at once in a steady flow and there hadn't been an incident during this period in over 20 years (or so the director told you when you got the job). So far you had no reason to doubt him.

The next patient filters in as one leaves, Brock Rumlow. You knew this one well, he was an outrageous flirt though you never feared he would ever act on anything, it was his way of coping with his situation you figured.

He collected his lunch on the plastic plates and made his way towards the seating, surprising you by making his way to James' table and sitting across from him. You were immediately on alert, knowing James didn't like being disturbed.

Within seconds it all went to shit. James swiped his own food and Brocks off the table before standing and glaring at him while Brock laughed maniacly.

James lost it, flipping the table over and beginning a rampage through the room, tossing tables and chairs, plates and cups went flying. The other three patients were screaming and Brock was still laughing away.

You had already pressed the panic button on the wall and two guards rushed into the room, making their way straight for James, making him look like a deer caught in headlights.

"Wait!" You yelled suddenly, making the guards and James all stop at once.

"Get the other patients out, I'll deal with James." You said calmly as James' eyes locked with yours, turning dark.

"You sure?" John, one of the guards said in concern, but you nodded quickly, waving your hands at them and watching as they quickly ushered the others out of the room to safety.

James' chest was rising and falling rapidly, nostrils flaring as he watched you.

You placed your hands in front of your chest placatingly before lowering your voice.

"It's okay James, you're okay." You began.

His jaw ticked and you swallowed harshly, trying to ignore the way your heart was beating faster than a hummingbird.

"He's gone james," You continued, "Did he upset you?"

You dared to take a slow step forward, immediately jumping back when James growled audibly, sending a shiver down your spine.

"Okay okay." You said quickly, trying to placate him, "I'll stay back here okay? I just want to make sure you're okay, that's all."

He tilted his head inquisitvely and all of a sudden he marched towards you at speed. You barely had time to react before he had you backed up into the wall, looming over you with a dark expression in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." You whispered as you placed your hands flat against the wall by your sides, "I didn't mean to upset you."

James brought both of his hands up and slammed them onto the wall besides your head, caging you under his enormous body and you let out a loud squeak as you attempted to cower away from him, angling your head to the side.

He brought his face down closer to yours, pressing his nose into the crook of your neck and inhaling with a satisfied grunt.

He kept his face buried there as you quivered in fear and pushed his core towards you, alerting you to his obvious arousal as it pushed into your abdomen.

A tear slipped free as the fear overcame you, you realised what a huge mistake you'd made thinking you could get through to him.

"Buck." Came Steve's stern voice suddenly and Bucky's head finally separated from your neck, tilting to the side.

"Step away Bucky, you don't wanna do this." Steve ordered.

Bucky's nostrils flared once more and he let out a rumble from his chest.

"Come on Buck," Steve said, placing a hand on James' shoulder and you watched as his body relaxed in front of you, "It's me, it's Steve, step away buddy."

You let out a shaky breath as James' body heat finally released you and he turned to Steve with his head lowered in submission.

"Come on Buck, let's get you to your room." Steve said softly.

James didn't reply, only stepping forward and beginning to follow Steve away from you, head still lowered like a kicked puppy.

As they reached the door Steve turned to you, offering you a reassuring smile.

"Go wait for me in the break room, I'll be there soon." He offered and you simply nodded in return, taking deep breaths as you tried to settle your heart rate.

Your hands were still trembling around your coffee cup when Steve finally entered the break room and sat down across from you with a sigh, rubbing his palms over his face.

"Is he okay?" You asked quietly.

Steve raised a curious brow at you before settling his hands on the table, curling one around the other.

"Are YOU okay?" He countered.

"Yeah, I mean.. I.. I think so.. Sorry." You muttered.

"You don't need to be sorry." Steve smiled reassuringly, "Bucky can be a lot, I'm sorry he did that."

"It's okay, he was worked up." You said shyly, though part of you wondered if that was all because of Brock or something else.

"I feel like I owe you an explanation." Steve said nervously and you gazed back at him curiously.

"What do you mean?" You asked.

"I'm sure you've noticed that Buck will talk to me," He began as you nodded, "We know each other, knew each other. we grew up together."

"Oh..wow.." You stuttered in surprise.

"Yeah," Steve sighed, "He wasn't always like this. He was an average kid 'til we joined the army. After we served, Bucky just...fuck..he didn't cope well, he was drinking, doing drugs and then he went off the rails. A few years later the police found out he'd been..."

Steve swallowed deeply like he couldn't finish the sentence.

"It's okay." You whispered, reaching across the table to put your hand on his and you saw his shoulders relax.

"I couldn't believe it," He muttered, "I did my best to be there for him through the trial and all the psych evals and such. Is it wrong that I'm glad he wasn't in his right mind when he did it?"

You raised a brow as you pondered the question. You supposed knowing your best friend did these things on purpose was a lot worse than this alternative, so you shook your head.

Steve let out a loud sigh.

"When they sentenced him to serve his time here.. I just couldn't abandon him.." Steve said as a tear slipped down his cheek, "I had to help, so I applied immediately and I've been here the whole time, watching over him."

"You're a good friend Steve." You whispered with a soft smile, as you ran your thumb over his knuckles.

"Thanks." Steve sighed

You pulled your hand back and placed it in your lap when the contact started to tingle in your core.

"Why do you call him Bucky?" You asked.

"Oh," Steve smiled, "He prefers that name. It's his nickname, short for buchanan, his middle name."

"Ahhh makes sense." You smiled.

You both just looked at one another for a moment before Steve began to rub the back of his neck shyly.

"So listen," He began, "I know the timing of this sucks, but I was wondering...well I wanted to know...if maybe...you wanna get dinner with me? Sometime?"

Your smile widened as a blush spread to your cheeks.

"Yeah. I'd like that." You grinned back.

"It's a date." Steve smiled and you felt a flutter in your heart.

The next day work returned to normal, despite the fact that you had a constant blush to your cheeks every time you were in Steve's proximity. He would constantly send you flirty winks or make flirty comments, clearly feeling a little bolder now he knew you were interested, but you didn't mind one bit.

You had a skip in your step that wasn't present before, as heat bloomed under your skin from Steve's attention. A permanent smile had made its way to your face.

You made your way to the rec room, finding it almost empty besides Bucky and two of the others. Bucky was in the corner looking through the bookshelf and with the added confidence in you that day you decided to approach him, you didn't want him to think you were afraid of him after yesterday. Besides there were four guards and two other staff members, so that chance of something happening in that room was unlikely.

"Hey James." You smiled softly as you approached.

His eyes flickered to you, lips pressed in a flat line and he quickly diverted his attention back to the book shelf.

"You looking for anything specific?" You asked, looking to where his fingers were drifting over the spines.

You heard him grunt before stopping and pulling out a copy of The Hobbit. It was weathered with wrinkled pages but then, most books on the shelf were.

"Ahh good choice," you smiled, clasping your hands together behind your back, "That's my favourite."

Bucky's eyes flickered back to yours, seeming to soften and the corner of his lip twitched.

"Me too." He mumbled and you had to fight hard not to jump up and down and scream with joy that he'd spoken to you.

"Well you have good taste." You said instead, keeping your voice soft and steady.

"Mmm." He hummed simply as he crossed the room towards the arm chairs in the corner, slumping down into one.

He looked up at you expectantly before looking at the chair next to him and you swallowed down the pride as you strutted over to sit next to him, smiling when your colleagues began to notice and raise impressed brows in your direction.

"So what's your favourite part?" You asked as you sat.

Bucky flipped the book over in his palms, looking down with furrowed brows, like he was fighting an internal battle as he thought.

"Smaug." He said with a nod.

One word, simple yet you'd learnt more about him in the last five minutes than any one except Steve had in his entire incarceration.

"Hey, you okay?" Came Steve's voice as he joined you in the room, looking concerned when he saw you sat next to Bucky.

"Yeah we're okay." You smiled with a gleam in your eyes. "James and I were just discussing the hobbit."

Steve raised a brow as a smile spread across his lips, looking over at his old friend with pride.

"Bucky." Bucky murmured lowly. "Call me Bucky."

You breath caught in your throat at the offer and you looked up at Steve with a smile, seeing him smile back at you happily.

"Okay. I will. Bucky." You said back.

Bucky hummed once more with a nod before opening the book and settling in to the story.

You were on cloud nine. First Steve asked you on a date, now Bucky was talking to you. The bad parts of the previous day were now completely forgotten.

The next few days were amazing. Work was great. Bucky continued to make progress with you, offering more than just one word answers though still keeping his answers short and clipped. He continued to stare regularly but it wasn't unnerving you as much as it did before.

You and Steve went on your date and it was a dream. He was such a gentleman, picking you up with flowers, holding doors. His hand would stay respectfully on the base of your spine.

At the end of the night you even offered for him to go inside for a coffee, but he politely declined saying he shouldn't but that he'd love to go out again and he gave you a soft kiss on the cheek.

You really did feel like you were walking on cloud nine, everything was perfect.

Everything had been normal at work one day during the next week, there were no incidents, the evening shift was smooth and quiet.

You had assisted making sure everyone got to their rooms to settle for bed and sat yourself in the floors security room with the night guard, Lee, watching the monitors while you had a coffee to keep you going.

There were a couple other guards stationed around the large building and a few colleagues, but in general the night shift was quiet and boring. You knew Steve was working so he was around somewhere. You were sure you'd find him and pass the time talking with him at some point.

Suddenly everything went dark and the guard muttered a low "shit" before fumbling on his belt for a torch while you sat in shock, not knowing what to do.

"What's going on?" You said nervously.

Lee stood and flashed the light at the control panel.

"Powers gone. Gonna have to do a manual reset from the breaker room." He grunted.

"What about the patient doors?" You asked, standing and looking over the control panel with him, though you had no idea what you were looking at.

"Shit." He grunted again. "If the powers out the locks won't engage but they were all asleep, so I wouldn't panic."

Don't panic? The doors to all the patients guilty of severe crimes and with serious mental illnesses weren't locked in, while you had limited staff and guards on duty. But yeah, don't panic.

"You're gonna need to go check the rooms while I reset the breaker." He suggested and your eyes widened in fear.

"Me?" You whispered while your hands shook.

"Yes. You. You don't know how to reset the breaker and I've got no way of calling on anyone else so I need you to check." He began with an annoyed huff, "Just this floor, in the event of a power cut the doors to the stairs manually lock so no one can leave the floor they are on. We're bloody lucky we're on the ground floor, I can get to the breaker through the service tunnels."

"Okay I can do it." You agreed feebly.

"Here," Lee said passing you another torch from a nearby cabinet, "Take this and these cuffs, just in case."

"Cuffs?" You whispered shakily.

"You'll be fine." He continued, "They are sleeping."

You nodded and walked off towards the corridor where the patients from this floor slept, light on your feet as you flicked the light around the hallways, making the place look even more eery than it already did.

When you reached the correct corridor, the row of doors seemed to look over you. Each one presented a danger that you couldn't even comprehend. Sure you were with these people on a daily basis, but now, at night with no support, they presented a real and present threat.

You walked to the first door, carefully shining your flashlight through the small observation window, breathing a sigh of relief when you saw the patient asleep in bed.

The same happened on doors two and three and you finally began to feel more confident as you continued down the hall.

You checked on all five out of six patients before cautiously moving along to Bucky's door, flashing the light through his window.

You swallowed harshly as you observed the bed, noting that he wasn't there and you moved the beam of light slowly around the room until you landed on his figure, stood staring out of his barred window with his back to you.

As the beam of light reached him, his head tilted towards the door and you quickly flicked the switch off and backed away.

You took a deep breath, steadying yourself. This was Bucky, he was coming around to you, he liked you, he wasn't a threat, this would be okay. At least you hoped it would be.

You flashed the light back through the window, jumping back and hitting the far wall as his face appeared in the window.

Your heart was hammering, hands shaking around the torch while he stared out at you.

The door slid open slowly and you had to make a decision. Run or stay put and hope it was still Bucky, that you could placate him.

As the door hit its hilt, you gasped loudly, accidentally dropping the torch from your sweaty hands. Bucky's body filled the door frame easily, the shadows casting over him dangerously.

You didn't move, he didn't move. It felt like time stood still while you decided which move to make.

You inhaled deeply, steeling your shoulders in preparation and placing your hand tightly around the cuffs.

"Bucky..." You stuttered.

All of a sudden he was charging towards you, clamping his hand over your mouth and grabbing the cuffs with the other, easily pulling them from your grasp as you attempted to push at his chest, eyes widening in fear.

The next thing you knew he was pulling you away from the wall and easily dragging you back into his room where he tossed you onto his bed.

You attempted to sit up but were pushed back down immediately by a strong palm.

Bucky grabbed the cuffs, quickly opening one end and attaching it to your wrist before attaching the other end to the cuff loop that the patients had near their beds. Supposed to be for them if needed, now being used to hold you hostage.

You began to scratch at the cuff manically with your free hand as Bucky stepped back from the bed, flaring his nostrils.

"Bucky. Let me go." You whimpered, but he didn't move. He just stood by the side of the bed, breathing heavily as he looked at you.

"Bucky. Please." You pleaded in desperation.

"No." He grunted before he lowered himself to his knees at the side of the single bed.

He looked over your body, licking at his lips with a pant before he reached out and placed his palm over your breast.

You gripped his wrist and attempted to pull his hand away but he slapped you away with his free hand.

"No." He grunted in annoyance.

He began massaging your breast, squeezing the flesh with a tense jaw before moving onto the second and giving it the same treatment.

You could only lay silently in horror as he continued to grope you, wondering how the hell you were going to get out of this.

Bucky pulled both his hands up to your top, gripping it firmly before ripping it straight down the middle. It splayed out either side of you revealing your lacy bra and you heard him growl while tears began slipping from your eyes.

A loud bang on the door had Bucky jumping up and the door swung open.

Steve stepped through, looking around with his torch until he saw you laid on the bed, cuffed to the wall with tear stains on your cheeks.

The door slammed shut behind him and he moved his gaze to Bucky who was standing hanging his head.

"Bucky."Steve said softly. "What are you doing?"

Bucky began to mutter incoherently as Steve carefully crossed the space, leaning over you and brushing your hair from your face.

"Are you okay?" He asked, glancing down at your uncovered breasts and back up at your face.

"I'm okay." You whimpered softly. "He took the key."

"Okay. You're gonna be okay." Steve assured you before returning to Bucky.

He set the torch on the window sill, allowing it to gently bask the room in a little light and approached Bucky, placing his hand on his shoulder.

"Buck. Explain yourself." Steve said more sternly as you watched on from where you lay.

"I want her." Bucky whispered, but the admission seemed to echo in the space.

"Buck. You can't take her buddy. You know this." Steve scolded.

"Please stevie." Bucky whimpered, placing his hands in front of his body and rubbing them together nervously.

"Buck." Steve sighed.

Bucky finally raised his head, making eye contact with Steve.

"Please stevie. Let me have her. I need her." He began pleading, "I love her Stevie."

Steve glanced over at you with a strange look on his face before looking back at his friend.

"Buck. You can't do this." Steve scolded once more. "I won't let you hurt her."

Your heart rate was sky rocketing as you glanced between the two men, praying that Steve could talk sense into him.

"I won't hurt her Stevie." Bucky pleaded. "I promise I won't. I just wanna love on her. Please."

"Fuck Bucky." Steve sighed shaking his head. "What am I gonna do with you?"

"Please." Bucky whined once more and Steve looked at you, exhaling heavily through his nose.

"Steve." You whimpered as you tugged on the cuff.

Steve looked back at Bucky with a soft adoration. He patted his shoulder and released him, stepping back.

"Okay Bucky." He relented, "But don't hurt her okay?"

Bucky nodded as you began to panic. Steve stepped to the corner of the room sitting down in Bucky's armchair as Bucky moved back towards you.

"Steve." You yelled as more tears trickled over your skin, "Please. You can't let him."

"I'm sorry sweetheart. He needs this." Steve sighed.

"What the fuck Steve." You spat, glancing at Bucky with a shiver as he began taking off his clothes.

"I told you. We have history." Steve said calmly.

"I can't...I don't...you can't do this..." You cried.

"I'll do whatever he needs." Steve replied. "I always have. When he'd come to me after another episode, if he needed help getting rid of another body, I've always done what I needed to do to look after him and I always will. He's my best friend."

You began to sob harshly as the reality of your situation sank in.

Bucky stepped in front of you and you had to hold back a gasp at the size of his cock as it bobbed prone in front of you.

You tilted your head to the side and looked away as Bucky stepped around you and began to tug down your trousers and panties in one swoop.

"Please don't do this." You whimpered once more, though you knew it was useless.

"Spread her legs Buck. Let me see." Steve said suddenly and you looked back to glare at him, only to find him with his trousers down and his own cock in hand as he watched.

"Sure Stevie." Bucky said softly, grabbing your thighs in his strong palms and pushing them apart with a low groan.

"Fuck." Steve moaned as he stroked himself.

"Can I fuck her now Stevie?" Bucky whispered, staring between your legs and poking his tongue out to wet his lips. "Please?"

"Go for it Buck." Steve agreed, "Make it count."

He quickly shifted over the top of you, staring down at you with his mouth agape as you shook. You knew there was no point in fighting him, he was strong, too strong and dangerous. 

Bucky nudged his cock at your entrance with a loud groan as the head slipped between your lips.

You did your best to suppress the spark it sent to your groin, refusing to admit your body found the action pleasurable, but it didn't last long as your body began to dampen the more he pushed at your clit. 

Bucky pushed the head past your entrance, letting out an animalistic growl as he did, bracing himself on his arms at either side of your head.

"She's getting wet Stevie." He moaned loudly while you whimpered.

"Course she is Buck, you're a good boy, you'll fuck her good.' Steve grunted from the other side of the room.

"I'm a good boy." Bucky repeated in a whisper before thrusting harshly through your walls and burying himself to the hilt, causing you to let out a loud gasp at the obscene stretch. 

He dropped his weight on top of you, burying his face in your neck as he began to fuck his cock into you with no remorse, hitting your cervix with each thrust. 

You couldn't hold the moans in any longer as you felt the signs of an orgasm building at speed. His cock dragged along your special spot with each pull of his hips before hitting deep inside your cunt with each push.

"That's it Buck," Steve rasped, "She likes it, keep goin'."

"Feels so good Stevie." Bucky groaned into your skin, hips slamming against your pelvis.

Your free hand fisted at the bed sheets harshly, bunching them up as you got closer and closer to the edge.

"Gonna cum Stevie," Bucky whined, "Need to cum."

"No." Steve grunted, "Ladies first Buck, you know that."

Bucky responded to this with a low groan before assaulting your cunt with even faster, harder thrusts, plummeting you towards bliss.

You fell over the edge, letting out a loud moan as your pussy clenched around Bucky's cock, gripping him tightly.

"Fuck, go on Buck," Steve moaned, "Fill 'er up."

Bucky groaned against your neck, pushing his cock as deep as it could go. You felt his release, warm and wet flooding your pussy as Bucky stilled and your mind began to clear in the post orgasmic haze.

"Fuck, fuck." Steve muttered from the chair and you looked up just in time to see him spilling over his hand.

Bucky slipped out of you and carefully pulled your pants back up while you breathed heavily, trying to recover.

Steve tucked himself away and stepped towards you cautiously.

"Key Buck." He ordered, holding his palm out as Bucky collected the cuff key and passed it to him.

Steve hovered over you, holding the key by the cuff lock.

"Now I think this goes without saying," He said sternly, 'But this stays in this room, you tell no one."

You nodded furiously, pressing your lips together.

"I mean it sweetheart." Steve said sternly, "I won't hesitate to protect Bucky if I need too, you say nothing."

"Okay." You whispered.

He sighed before slipping the key in the lock and freeing you finally. You gripped your wrist as you sat up, rubbing it gently.

"Here." Bucky said, head now back to hanging low as he held out his t shirt for you.

You quickly slipped it on, removing your damaged shirt and then followed Steve out of the room, clutching your arms around yourself protectively as Steve shut the door behind him.

Just then, as though you were living in some kind of written fiction, the power came back on, mocking you.

Steve looked up at the lights with a smirk.

"Well then sweetheart," He said as you both began walking towards the security office, "What do you wanna do for our date this week?"

The End

After a lot of deliberation, you'd decided to brave a trip to the doctor's office, deciding you were ready to take a big step in your personal life.

Doctor Kemp had taken over your local doctors clinic a few years ago and you felt content under his care.

He was always friendly with you, making you feel at ease with your issues and you had confided in him about almost everything. You knew that today's conversation would only be okay because of him, despite how nervous you were.

You entered the clinic with a hammering heart and shaky palms, locating a seat as far away from anyone else as possible, after a quick check in with the receptionist. You were anxious as other patients stepped in and out of the double doors for their own appointments, biting at your nails and leg bouncing as you waited. 

When your name was finally called, you scampered through the doors and along the pristine white halls to Doctor Kemp's office, knocking quickly before entering, after hearing the sound of his soft voice calling you inside.

"Good morning." He smiled at you from his seat by his computer, "Take a seat."

You smiled back shyly, flopping down in your seat so quickly that you winced on impact and immediately flushed red in embarassment. 

Doctor Kemp looked back at you with a glint of amusement in his eyes, lips turned up into that charming smile you'd come to know all too well.

"Hi Doctor Kemp." You breathed shakily as you tried to compose yourself, "Thank you for seeing me."

You placed your palms in your lap, spine ridged and stiff while Steve relaxed back in his seat.

"What can I do for you today?" He asked, steepling his hands in front of his chest, with his elbows on his knees as he appraised you.

"I uhh...well..." You uttered, scratching nervously at your forehead, "It's kind of embarrassing..."

"It's okay, you know you can tell me." He smiled softly before letting out a light chuckle, "I don't bite."

"Okay well..." You sighed, glancing around the sterile room to avoid making eye contact for too long, "I uhh....I want to get some kind of birth control."

"Oh is that right?" Steve replied with a harsh underbite to his tone.

"Yeah," You continued, oblivious to his change in demeanor, "I just don't know what kind of one to get or whatever, I was wondering if you could help."

"Forgive me sweetie, but last time we spoke you informed me you were still a virgin." He said sternly, "Is that no longer the case?"

"Oh, uhh yeah I am." You said pressing your lips together, "I'm just...preparing I guess....trying to be safe."

"You got yourself a boyfriend now?" He grumbled with a raised brow, flattening his palms on his thighs to stop them clenching into fists.

"No, yeah." You mumbled, "Uhh I dunno. Kind of. It's new."

"And things have been heating up?" Steve pressed, "Has he touched you?"

His fingers twitched against his thigh and his jaw ticked in irritation, as he watched your face blush at the question.

"Nn..no. Not exactly." You mumbled, rubbing your hands together in your lap, "But he uhhh..he asked me to touch him..so I just want to be prepared..."

Steve's shoulders relaxed and you watched as he visibly exhaled before his face softened. He reached across the space, taking your hand in his and gently running his thumb along your knuckles. 

Your friends told you their doctors were cold and uncaring, Steve wasn't like that, he was always soft with you and always made sure to touch you in such gentle caring ways, you knew you were safe with him.

"You sure you're ready sweetie?" He asked softly, watching you nibble your lower lip.

"Yeah I think so." You sighed, "I mean I'm 23 now and I've waited a long time."

"I know." He smiled, "You're such a sweet girl, so innocent."

"Yeah well...maybe I'm ready for more ya know?" You replied, unsure whether you were trying to convince Doctor Kemp or yourself, but you were fed up of the things your friends said about you, of missing out on something your friends all talked about like it was a gateway drug.

"Okay well as your doctor I guess I'll have to trust what you're saying for the mental side of being ready," Steve hummed, still holding your palm in his, "But there's still the physical."

"Physical?" You gulped, looking up at Steve's blue eyes with your doe ones, as confusion laced your brow.

"Yeah, your vagina might not be ready."  Steve replied. 

"Oh." You gasped in shock, "Really? But...I thought...the girls said.."

"You think your friends know more than me? A qualified practitioner?" Steve scoffed, dropping your hand in your lap with irritation and you felt an embarrassed flush creep up your neck.

"No. Of course not. I just..." You mumbled apologetically.

"We'll need to do an examination." He interrupted, "Make sure everything is okay."

"Right..okay...sure...yeah...." You breathed, rubbing your now sweaty palms along your trousers.

"Good girl." Steve smiled, suddenly soft again, "You wanna jump up behind the curtain, take your jeans and panties off and pop the towel over your lap. I'll be there when you're ready."

You swallowed nervously, getting to your feet and moving to the clinical bed while your hands shook at your sides. You knew you shouldn't be nervous, Steve had seen down there before, several times in fact. He made sure you had regular check ups, making sure to take pictures of your pussy to keep on his files in case anything changed, although he'd never touched you, not once, just appraised between your legs with a clinical scrutiny.

You pulled the paper feeling curtain across the space, separating you from Steve's gaze and quickly stripped your lower half, before climbing onto the hard bed and grabbing way too much paper towel to place over your exposed core.

"Ready." You gulped nervously, hands desperately pressing the paper to your body.

"Okay." Steve hummed before pulling the curtain back, making your body flinch at the sudden screeching sound, "Comfy?" 

"Mmm it's okay." You breathed with a faux smile, "I'm just nervous."

"Don't be nervous sweetheart." He smiled reassuringly, "Nothing you haven't done before. It'll be just like when you do it yourself."

"What do you mean?" You exhaled shakily as he crossed the room, collecting a pair of blue rubber gloves from a nearby drawer.

"I mean it'll only be like when you touch yourself." He replied, facing the wall with a wide smirk and a twitch in his cock that you didn't see.

"Oh..I..I never..." You mumbled nervously, swallowing harshly with wide eyes when Steve suddenly turned to face you once more.

"You've never touched yourself before?" He asked with a raised brow and a twitch in his upper lip.

"N..no..." You repeated.

"God sweetheart, you're such an angel." He almost groaned, quickly snapping the rubber of the gloves before blowing into the opening, "So sweet."

"Oh, uh thank you Doctor Kemp." You blushed, dipping your head under his gaze.

He smiled back, pulling the latex gloves over his large hands before releasing them to his wrists with a loud slap.

"Okay just relax for me sweetie." He said softly as he positioned himself near your lower half, "Bend your knees. That's it and just let your legs drop open."

You did as he asked, pulling your legs up and planting your feet flat on the bed before dropping your knees to the sides, opening yourself up for him.

"Good girl." He praised, "See. It's okay right?"

"Yeah...okay..." You breathed, feeling more secure knowing you were safe with him as you always were.

"Okay. Let's have a look at you." Steve purred, quickly ripping the toweling away from your core and tossing it haphazardly behind him, tongue darting out to run over his lower lip as he looked at your exposed cunt.

"Mmm. Good." He hummed with a nod as his head tilted to the side.

"Is....is it okay?" You asked nervously, attempting to glance down at your own pussy.

"Very beautiful sweetheart." Steve smirked back at you before slipping his gloved hands onto your thighs gently, "Let's have a little feel, see how she's doing?"

His palms slid along the inside of your thighs until you felt his fingers tickle the outer side of your pussy and you audibly gasped at the feeling, unsure if that was how you were supposed to feel when it was your doctor touching you so innocently.

Suddenly you felt his finger tip gently flick at your untouched nub before gently massaging it and you felt an unusual heat spread across your body. 

"That feel okay?" Steve purred, glancing up at your surprised eyes and mouth hanging agape.

"Mmmhmmm." You nodded with a harsh swallow as he continued his soft movements over your clit.

"Words sweetie." Steve coaxed, "Need you to tell me how it feels."

You took a deep breath, letting your head flop back against the bed so you could stare at the ceiling instead of the way Doctor Kemp was staring back at you hungrily.

"It feels g..good." You breathed, "Kinda tingly."

"Yeah?" Steve purred in response, "You're getting nice and wet."

"Is that normal?" You squeaked suddenly, worrying as you regularly felt that flush of wetness pooling down below, often finding patches of dampness in your panties and you worried that it could mean something was wrong.

"Yeah sweetie, perfectly normal." Steve smiled, "It's a good thing."

"Oh..okay...good." You breathed, shoulders relaxing slightly, although still on edge from where he was touching you.

"Now I'm gonna need you to relax sweetheart." Steve ordered softly, "Take a deep breath. Good."

You inhaled deeply and let out a squeak as you felt one of his fingers push inside of your pussy, curling upwards to stroke your inner wall as his thumb took its place on your clit to continue the stimulation there.

Your stomach tightened, more intense heat searing at your skin as sweat began dripping from your brow.

"Oh..." You gasped at the new intrusion.

"Yeah, that okay?" Steve asked and you had to swallow, reminding yourself to use your words when all your body wanted to do was writhe and mewl.

"Mm. Feels. Good." You mumbled, chest heaving up and down.

"Yeah? You got more of those tingles?" He coaxed as he continued pumping his finger inside of you, dragging the tip against your wall and rubbing over your nub in soft circles.

"Yeah and my tummy feels funny." You admitted with a shaky breath as the strange sensations kept building.

"Good, that's what's supposed to happen sweetheart." He hummed in approval, "This is all good so far."

You let out a raspy moan as he continued working your cunt with his finger, feeling yourself becoming wetter and wetter as he continued.

"God. You're so tight." Steve groaned to himself as he stared at his finger disappearing into your virgin pussy over and over, "Dunno if you're gonna be able to take two."

"Huh? Two?" You squeaked, catching the end of his sentence and lifting your head to stare at him with a small amount of fear shooting through you.

"Of my fingers sweetie?" Steve smirked as if it was completely obvious, "Need to get two in to make sure everything is all good inside."

"Oh, okay." You nodded before dropping your head back down. You were being silly, you had nothing to be scared of, Steve was a good doctor, he'd take care of you.

"Just remember to breathe sweetheart and relax." He coaxed with a hitch in his throat, barely holding himself together as his cock pressed stiff and hard against the inside of his slacks, weeping and needy.

"Okay Doctor Kemp." You whimpered as your tummy tightened further.

"Call me Steve." He rasped as he tickled the tip of his middle finger against your opening.

"Steve?" You questioned, though it came out shaky and weak.

"Mmm. Yeah sweetie." He hummed, "You call me Steve, we know each other well enough."

"Okay Steve." You whined softly before letting out a loud moan, "Ahhh!"

"Oh yeah there we go." He grinned as he pushed his middle finger into your pussy to join the other, "Doing so good sweetie, got two fingers in there."

"Oh god. I feel...funny...." You mumbled as heat spread to the tips of your ears and tingles spread across your abdomen, stomach tightening in a way you'd never experienced in your life.

"That's good sweetheart." Steve hummed happily as he sloppily fucked you with his fingers, "That's perfect, you're going to have an orgasm."

"I am?" You gasped, unable to stop yourself from wiggling and digging your fingers into the plastic feeling bed to try and ground yourself.

"Yeah. Just let it happen." He continued, pressing more firmly on your clit and slapping his palm against your core with each thrust of his fingers, "Let me help you."

"Okay Steve." You whined, back arching from the bed involuntarily like it had a mind of its own.

"That's it. Fuck you're perfect." He groaned, using his free hand to grab his cock through his slacks, squeezing it tightly, "So tight, so wet."

"Steve." You whimpered as you felt like you were about to plummet into the abyss, body overtaken with the strange but pleasurable sensations.

"Say my name baby." He grunted, "Say my name when you come on my fingers."

You felt his fingers curl inside you, pressing on a spot that had you suddenly crying his name as your vision whited and your whole body was taken over by a white hot bliss.

"Oh god. Steeveee!" You moaned with tears pooling in your eyes.

"There we go, there she is." He breathed shakily, slowing his movements to work you through the high, "Keep breathing sweetheart, you're okay."

When your body finally relaxed against the bed, shoulders slumping with exhaustion, Steve slipped his fingers from your core, settling his dry hand on your thigh.

"You okay?" He asked softly, looking over your spent body with a proud smile.

"Mmhmm." You hummed with a lazy nod, "That was...good....I liked it...was it okay?"

"It was perfect sweetie." He reassured you, "I'm just gonna have a little taste to make sure?"

"A taste?" You said, head tipping up and eyes snapping to his, seeing a dark glint in his eyes you'd never noticed before.

"Yeah, you can tell a lot by the taste?" He smirked.

You watched as he brought the creamy coated, blue latex to his mouth, swirling his tongue around the wet digits before sucking them into his mouth with a low hum.

"Mmm god." He groaned, shifting on his feet as his erection throbbed, "Fuck."

"Is it okay?" You breathed, worried by his reaction.

"Perfect. So perfect." He hummed as his eyes rolled in pleasure at the taste of your innocence.

"Okay good." You nodded, pushing yourself up onto your elbows and letting your legs drop flat onto the bed.

Steve slowly pulled his gloves off with loud snaps of rubber, before looking at you with a gleeful smile.

"Get dressed sweetheart and we'll have a chat." He grinned before stepping towards his desk and pulling the curtain across the space, as though he hadn't just seen every part of you.

"So it was all okay?" You asked as you pulled the curtain back, clothes now firmly in place as you crossed the space and carefully sat in your seat, watching his reaction with interest.

"Yes and no." He hummed with a nod as he typed something on his computer.

"What is it?" You replied as anxiety began niggling in your mind.

He let out a sigh before turning to face you, placing his hands on your knees softly.

"You're ready sweetheart but there's a small problem." He said with a serious expression that had you shifting in your seat, hands clutching each other uselessly.

"What is it?" You mumbled as fresh tears began to pool.

"Well you're so tight that it's going to be difficult for you to have sex, painful." He admitted and your eyes widened in surprise, you had never thought about the fact that someone may not be able to fit, it hadn't even crossed your mind. You internally scolded yourself for being so stupid and naive. Your friends spoke about sex like it was so easy, you should have known it wouldn't be that simple.

"Oh." You murmured, "Is there something I can take to help?"

"I think it would be best if you come back tomorrow for a longer appointment and I will pop your cherry for you. I'll be able to do it safely and with minimal pain for you." He said, brows furrowing in concentration to stop the smirk threatening to over take his face.

"You mean? Like with equipment?" You squeaked nervously, cursing yourself when you felt more wetness pooling at the thought of Doctor Kemp playing with you again.

"No sweetie, I'll do it myself, with my cock, take real good care of you." He said softly, reaching a hand up to cradle your cheek with a genuine tenderness, "Then you should be ready for other people."

"Really? You'd do that?" You almost whimpered under his touch.

"Of course Sweetheart. Anything to help." He smiled, "I wouldn't be a very good doctor otherwise would I?"

"I guess not." You giggled, watching as his lips twisted up into a charming smile.

"Okay then." He grinned as he released you, "You go home and get some rest. You'll need it for tomorrow."

"Okay doc...Steve." You corrected yourself with a shy smile before standing, "See you tomorrow."

"Can't wait sweetheart." He smiled, watching your ass jiggle as you walked away, with his lip between his teeth and a promise to his cock that tomorrow was the day he would finally make you his, you just didn't know it yet. 

Everything tag - @late-to-the-party-81

@the-wandering-wonder @rnurse-kole @chemtrails-club @marvelgurl

A private jet. A different country. You really can't believe it's real. Not even as you come down the tall steps from the plane door. Or when you're led to a car with Nick; sleek and sporty. He gets in the driver's seat as you settle into the low passenger's, the angle awkward and slightly uncomfortable.

"All buckled in, sweetheart?" He reaches over to squeeze your knee. You flinch in surprise.

"Sure am." You answer.

He lets go and shifts the manual stick. You take off your crochet hat and shake it out before putting it back on. You hesitate with your fingers along the ruffle. It's not very European. Oh well.

"We'll settle in at the hotel. I don't have to be on set until the day after tomorrow. I have edits I could do in my sleep. No interviews right now. Told Colleen to keep me out of that stuff as much as possible." He says.

You nod. Unsure what to add.

He steers onto a plaza and parks. You look around, confused. He turns off the engine.

"No driving in the old city." He says. "We'll catch a town car just past the Piazza."

"Oh, uh."

"My guys got our luggage. No worries. We just gotta worry about each other, sweetheart." He assures.

"Oh yeah of course." You undo your seatbelt. "Sorry I'm just a little bit lost. Or a lot lost.”

He chuckles. “I got you, don't worry.”

He watches you. You shift and tap your fingers on your belt bag. He steps closer, hesitates, then tilts his head sideways.

“This way,” he nudges you gently with his hand behind your upper arm.

He urged you through the secured lot to the Piazza where signs announce your official arrival in Venice. The space is bustling as tourists in wide-brimmed hats and floral shirts squint at their phones, snip at errant children to hush, or look around in the same disorientation you feel. Nick's touch slips down your arm and he grips your wrist, pulling you back just before you get stampeded by a group of older women trilling about wine and pasta.

“Come on, let's get a team.” He slips his hand around yours and pulls you through the crowd.

You come out to the street as Nick pulls down his sunglasses with his other hand. He doesn't let go of you. You're happy for it. You feel like you might get lost if he did.

“Ah, here.” He says and tugs you towards a crowd shuffling onto a wired tram.

You blink at a zapping flash. You glance over at a man with a camera. You glimpse in the direction of his aim, right behind you. He must be taking pictures of the Piazza.

You trip behind Nick and he pauses, turning back to keep you steady as he catches your shoulder. “Y’okay, sweetheart? Just tell me if I need to slow down.”

“I'm fine. Promise.” You insist with a nervous smile. “It's… Venice.” You exhale away your nerves. “It's real.”

He chuckles and puts you ahead of him. He follows you up to the tram door. As you board, he calls behind you.

“Got her. For two please.”

He presses against you as he feeds the fare meter and says something in Italian to the driver. You watched the coins spiral into the slot. You didn't even think to exchange your currency, you just brought your card.

You have no idea what you're doing here. You don't know where you're going. You don't have the right money. And really, what reason do you have to be here? You don't have a job here. Not like Nick.

“Come on, sweetheart, pick a seat.” He nudges your shoulder blade.

You find a seat. He sits beside you, your backs to the window. As you wiggle your foot nervously, you catch a woman staring in your direction. Nick groans as he stretches and lets his arm fall behind you.

“Like it so far?” He asks.

“Sure, I mean… just got here but it's so pretty and exciting. And… could you imagine if LA was car free? That would be…”

“A fantasy,” he scoffs. “You know some of the studios even feel like cities. It's why I can't stand them. You got idiots on those golf carts too, acting like they can't walk the same ground as everyone else.”

“Oh, yeah, I don't…”

“Sweetheart, I been meaning to ask something.” He says. Your anxiety tweaks as he plays with the seam of your sleeve right at the top of your shoulder.

“What?” You bat your eyes at him.

“Do you think… maybe one day you'll let me see where your from?”

“What?” Really?” You cheep.

“Yeah, sure. I love little towns. They're great. I'm looking for the perfect middle of nowhere to shoot my next project.” He explains as he raises his other hand, showing his palm as he drags it through the air. “Quiet, quaint, but full of life.”

“It's really not that… interesting.” You shrug. “But if you want… I don't know if they have anywhere to land your plane.”

He laughs again. “You're funny.”

“Oh… I … know what that means.”

“Huh?”

“People say that. You're funny… when you say something stupid. I don't speak Italian but I'm learning how to speak Hollywood.” You sniff.

“No, no, sweetheart,” he sits up, squeezing your shoulder. “Never. I'd never ever… you're not stupid and nothing you say is stupid. I love it all. Everything. Just the sound of your voice.” His hand settles on your knees. “Really, you make me laugh. You make me… forget who I am. Who people need me to be.”

He rubs your knee, trailing up your leg, then pulls back. He sits against the seat and sighs. He quiet as his tongue slips out between his lips.

“Do you know what what a vaporetti is?” He asks.

“Mmm, no. That wasn't in my Duolingo.” You hum.

“Waterbus. We gotta hop off this thing shortly and we'll get one….” He stops and stares at your perplexed face. “A boat. We gotta cross the canal.”

“The canal?” You utter.

“You're not afraid of water, are you, sweetheart?” He asks.

You shake your head. “I don't think so.”

“To the right, sweetheart,” Nick calls from behind you.

You nod and follow his direction. The attendant leads you into the body of the plane. There aren’t rows like a commercial flight; there’s a cushy looking leather sofa with seat belts tucked into the corners, two seats with reclining backs and foot rests, and a whole dining set with cushioned benches.

“Sit wherever you like.” The attendant says. “I’m Cassidy and I’ll be your in-flight attendant.” She smiles. “You and Mr. Fowler.” 

You introduce yourself with a squeak.

She looks past you. “Sir, is there anything I can get you?”

“Once we’re in air, she’ll want a drink. Something bubbly.” He says sternly.

“Yes, Mr. Fowler. And you’re usual?” She offers.

“I’ll have the same as her.” He shoulders by her, his eyes on you. “Sweetheart, what are you feeling? You can lay down, have a nap. Or maybe a window seat? You can watch take off.”

You rock back and forth and play with the brim of your crochet hat. “I… sure. That’s cool. I bet taking off is scary.”

He grins. “I’ll be here.” He winks and stares at you.

You clear your throat and look around. You move cautiously to the chair by the window and sit. You clutch your belt bag around your waist and lean forward to peek out the window. Your neck is alight with self-awareness.

You glance over as Nick lowers himself into the seat beside you. He’s watching you. Still.

“Sorry, I’m nervous. I drove to LA, you know? I probably said that already.” You smile sheepishly.

“Any turbulence, just hold onto me,” he assures you. “I don’t mind.”

“Um, that’s nice.” You nod and look out the window again.

“Simon’s a good pilot. Don’t worry too much.” He says.

“I’m not worried. Just… excited, I guess.”

You sit back and wait. Nick rests his arm on the rest between you. His fingers flutter.

“You sure you’re okay?” He asks.

You can hear movement in the plane as they close the doors. Voices call back and forth as they check the windows. You fidget.

“Really, it’s just… Just the other day I was running trays across a lot and now I’m… going to Venice.”

“Hollywood moves fast,” he clucks. “But not when you need it too.”

“Right, er…” You giggle, more nervous than amused.

“Hello, Mr. Fowler,” the attendant greets, adding your name as well, “we’re almost ready for take off. We need belts on.”

He flicks her away with his fingers and searches for his seat belt. You do the same. He clasps his and sighs. You take a bit longer, mindful of his observation.

“Here,” he reaches over to help you adjust the belt and the buckle finally slips in. His fingers graze your stomach, knuckles pressing into you right before he pulls away. “Nice and safe.” He brushes across the back of your hand.

“Thanks,” you eke out and turn back, lean over to the window. 

You peer through as the plane clangs and juts and the engines begin to hum. The wheels start to roll and you blindly latch onto the armrest, only to grab onto Nick’s arm instead. You show your teeth and laugh at yourself, apologising before you pull away.

You stare through the window as the runway blurs under the plane and feel the tilt beneath you. The motion disorients you as you watch the world sink beneath you. You stare down at the grids of the city, the green, the tarmac, the water.

You feel a tickle on your arm, up and down from elbow to shoulder. You gasp and smile as the clouds surround you and you sit back. You look at Nick as he strokes your arm. You clamp your lips tight.

“Wow,” you say.

His fingers linger for a moment then he drops his hand away. His brow ticks. He sits back and nods. “Pretty amazing, huh?”

“Yes!” You answer. “I think so, at least. I bet for you it’s not.”

“I still enjoy it.” He says. “Even more with someone to share it with.”

“And thank you. I never… could’ve dreamed.”

The plane levels out. He takes off his seatbelt and you copy him. You wriggle in the chair and pull your purse around. You dig inside.

“What’re you up to?” He wonders.

“Oh… you don’t mind if I read?”

He shrugs and looks away. He raises his hand and Cassidy appears. She has two glasses in hand with pink wine and berries inside. She sets them on the low table in front of the chair.

“Mr. Fowler.” She dips her head.

“Thank you,” you say. Nick leans his chin in his hand. He stays like that for a minute before he drops his arm and sits up. He reaches for the glasses. “Here. Have a taste.”

He offers you a glass. You leave your book in your purse and push it to the other side of your lap. You accept the wine and look at the bubbles running up the crystal. You sniff it. It smells sweet.

You take a sip. Your cheeks pinch. You can taste the berries but the wine is still stringent enough to make you choke. You giggle and mop your lips with the back of your hand.

“Sorry,” you murmur.

“You don’t like it?” He keeps his away from his mouth.

“No, I do. I’m just not used to it. I don’t drink, you know?” You say. “Not very much.”

“You really are new to LA,” he chuckles and clinks his glass on yours.

“Yeah… I’m a total noob.”

“A noob?” He muses.

“Um, yeah…” you look at the wine as your cheeks burn. “Oh!” Your eyes flick up. “You’ll have to be my translator. I tried some duolingo but I can’t roll my r’s. I just kinda sound like I’m drowning.”

His brows arch and his cheeks dimple. He takes a deep sip of wine then pulls the glass away. He licks his lips.

“No problem at all. You’ll wanna keep close to me anyway.” He once more pets your arm. “You know, Venice is a tourist trap and lotta people know that. Easy to lift a wallet off a distracted traveller… or worse.”

“Oh?” Your eyes round.

Drabble #1 - A Cultural Treasure Rating: General Audiences

Sam grabbed the remote. “Buck, tonight, you experience a masterpiece.”

Bucky arched his brow. “A masterpiece?”

“A cinematic event,” you replied.

“For once we are going to watch one of the big three instead of fighting them.”

Your brow furrowed, “Big three? Oh, aliens, androids or wizards!”

Sam gave Bucky a look that said, see she gets it.

Bucky stared at the screen, unimpressed. 

You and Sam simultaneously burst, “We will not vanish without a fight… Today we celebrate our Independence Day!”

The credits rolled.

“Aliens invade Earth…the solution is… a computer virus?” Bucky deadpanned.

Sam gasped. “Respectfully, shut up.”

Drabble #2 - Land of the Free Rating: Teen

The Winter Soldier waited until the first explosion of colour filled the sky, then he moved. White flashed bright across the floor.. Blue caught on the barrel of the gun. Red lit the metal of his arm as he raised it.

Silent, steady.

He pulled the trigger just as the sky opened again.

BANG

The shot vanished beneath the fireworks.

The body in front of him crumpled onto the carpet. For a moment he stood there, outlined in borrowed light, watching the colors burst in the dark puddle spilling out across the floor before stepping back.

“Extraction request, target eliminated.”

Drabble #3 – Overrated Rating: General Audiences

Bucky didn’t like fireworks. 

They were too loud. Too bright. They reminded him of bombs during the war. They filled his head with too many bad memories. 

He hated how he tensed up over something meant to be beautiful and celebratory. 

He hated that he couldn’t watch them with you and be normal. 

But you didn’t mind. Not one bit. You just shut the curtains and handed him a pair of noise cancelling headphones when you sat down. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, reaching for your hand. 

“I’m not. I promise,” you whispered back. “Because fireworks are overrated.”

Bucky finally smiled.

That's all the Gen/Teen drabbles, thanks for reading!

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Drabble #4 - Best Laid Plans Rating: Mature

Bucky had a plan.

Flowers. Wine. Something resembling romance. Eighty years of missed birthdays deserved at least that much. Right?

Steve was out on the balcony in nothing but dog tags and a grin that had been causing Bucky problems since 1930.

"You gonna declare independence from those pants anytime soon?"

Bucky's plan dissolved completely.

Two strides. Flowers hit the floor. He walked Steve backwards into the railing, vibranium hand curling around his waist, mouth finding his throat.

Steve made a sound that went straight to Bucky's cock.

"Happy birthday, punk," Bucky murmured as the sky lit up above them.

That's it for the Mature drabble, thanks for reading!

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Thanks for reading--and have a wonderful rest of your day!

**It is not specified whether or not Bucky has his metal arm or long hair in this AU as it's left for your preference.

**

The day after your chat with Sam, your brain was still trying to process the new emotions and feelings it had brought up. You were still trapped, still being forced to marry the man who murdered your boyfriend but now that man is a complicated mystery. You know don't have to like him, but maybe you can get through to him or find a way to make this situation bearable.

After spending the day alone with your thoughts, you finally join the team for dinner where Bucky informs everyone he's got business to attend to that evening and leaves with Sharon in tow. Yelena suggests the rest of the gang have a poker night and invites you to join in although you are hesitant at first having absolutely no experience, she insists they will be able to teach you.

So now there you were, three beers deep and playing poker with a group of ragtag misfits and surprisingly finding yourself enjoying their company. You even managed to win a few games.

You were all sat at the smaller table in the kitchen rather than the dining room with yourself at one head of the table. Yelena was to your left with Walker next to her and Bob was on your right next to Ava.

"Come on. You know you can't fool me Walker." Yelena purrs when you are approaching the end of a game, with just her and John left in.

"I'm not trying to fool you Yelena, I have a winning hand, I'm all in." John replies confidently.

"Oh you are so dead my friend." Yelena replies pushing her chips into the pile in the middle of the table.

"I'd like to see you try shorty." John quips sarcastically.

"Shorty? Really? You can do better Walker. I'm disappointed." Yelena teases.

You lean over to bob whilst eyeing the pair.

"Is there usually this much trash talking in poker? You whisper.

Bob laughs at you shaking his head, "Not usually."

"No, there isn't." Ava says not amused in the slightest as she watches the game unfold.

Yelena lays down a royal flush with a smug smile and John huffs and throws his cards on the table.

"You cheated." John scoffs.

"You are such a sore loser walker." Yelena replies, smiling greedily as she scoops all the chips up.

"I'm not when it's not rigged." John insists with his arms folded across his chest.

"John, really?" Ava disapproves.

"What? I'm just saying." John continues.

"No, you're being a baby!" Ava scorns.

"I'm not being a baby!" John argues pettily, throwing his hands in the air.

"A bratty little baby." Yelena adds with a smirk.

"I'm not a baby. I'm all man." John says standing up and leaning on the table towards Ava, "You want me to show you."

"You wish." Ava scoffs with an eye roll.

"Yuck." Yelena adds with a fake gag.

You and Bob watch the exchange in amusement and chuckle. You can't help but to stir the pot a little, seeing the chemistry that's clearly being denied. 

"Oh, I thought you and John were together Ava?" You ask pulling an innocent face as John slumps back in his chair.

"What? No? Him?" Ava spouts with a scornful look.

"No we're...wait why did you say it like that?" John asks Ava, looking a little hurt, but hiding it beneath his bravado.

"Because it's disgusting." Ava replies.

"You'd be lucky to have me on your arm." John insists.

"I'd be lucky if you walked out of here and got hit by a car." Ava teases with a sly smile.

"How could you think I'd ever be with her. She's insufferable?" John grunts in your direction.

"And you're a pig." Ava snarks.

"Sorry I'm having trouble hearing you through all the sexual tension in the air." You tease while Bob and Yelena laugh.

"What?!" They both shout in unison.

"Americans do flirt in strange ways I've noticed." Yelena says looking between the two.

"Were not flirting!" John yells.

"I mean...you guys do flirt a little." Bob adds softly.

"We do not." Ava insists.

"You seek each other out just to fight." Yelena quips.

"That's not flirting!" Ava argues.

"Isn't it?" You reply with an eyebrow raised and you, Yelena and Bob can't help but burst into laughter at the look of realization on the other twos faces.

Bucky arrived home a few minutes prior, after a frustrating strategy meeting with the other families and just wanted to come home to bed. He was halted when he heard the laughter echoing through the halls from the direction of the kitchen.

He made his way through the halls quickly, until he found the five of you in the kitchen. You were laughing loudly. He couldn't help but stop in the doorway and watch you looking so carefree and happy. A genuine smile on your face that hit him straight in the gut. He would do anything to keep it there.

Bob looked up and spotted Bucky in the door way before anyone else and called out to him, "Oh, Hey Boss."

"Hey guys." Bucky says with a smile of soft affection at the team, "What you guys up too?"

"We're teaching this one to play poker." Yelena says nudging your arm making you smile.

"You joining for a game boss man?" Ava asks.

You finally look up at him and can see the slightly defeated look on his face, the bags under his eyes hinting at the exhaustion he wears daily. Despite all that he's still incredibly handsome, beard neatly trimmed with a two piece black suit and white shirt fitting to his tight sculptured torso that makes your thighs clench together involuntarily. You scorn yourself immediately for even thinking it.

"No I think I'm gonna head up." He says solemnly, "But you guys have fun."

He goes to turn around and the alcohol in your system decides to speak for you, a hint of flirtation on your tone that even you didn't expect.

"Afraid to lose?" You quip with a eyebrow raised and a smirk.

Bucky thinks he must be dreaming when he looks at the face you're pulling at him, a look you've never given to him before.

"No, I just don't want to embarrass you when you inevitably lose." He teases back.

"Try me." You goad causing him to chuckle.

He dips his head observing you as his tongue swipes over his bottom lip.

"You're on angel." He says defiantly before stripping his jacket off and taking a seat at the opposite end of the table.

"And they say we have sexual tension." Ava says to John in annoyance..

"Shut up." You grumble, though you can't deny that in that moment it definitely lingers. You blame the alcohol. It must be the alcohol. But for some reason you can't help but feel happy when that annoyingly sexy smirk appears on Bucky's face.

"You want a beer boss?" Bob says getting up from beside you to head over to the fridge.

"Sure." Bucky responds before turning his attention to the group. "But if you're all drinking who the hell is watching the house?"

It's said in a stern tone but with an undertone of trust and teasing.

"Jones is on the cameras." Ava says picking up the cards to shuffle them.

"I'm not drinking." Walker announces proudly, drumming the table edge with his fingers.

"I'm Russian." Yelena says with an eyebrow raised at Bucky who chuffs in response.

"Well I AM drinking and I'm enjoying it." You respond happily as Bob returns placing another bottle next to you and one for himself before handing one to Bucky and sitting down.

"I can see that angel." Bucky smirks.

You can't help but stick your tongue out in response and his lips curve into a boyish grin that sends another wave of heat to your core. You think you should probably stop drinking but you really don't want too. You haven't felt this carefree in a long time and you want to enjoy every minute before it crashes down on you in the morning.

The game goes on with general teasing and joking amongst the group and you can tell Bucky is more relaxed than when he walked in. In fact he's seems at home, content even. You and Bucky are locked in, trying to one up each other as the game progresses and you keep adding chips until you finally knock out everyone else. By the time the game is drawing to its conclusion you have finished your fourth and fifth beer and are just towing that line between tipsy and drunk.

You look at your hand, you have a straight. Not the best but still pretty good odds of winning. When you look over at Bucky's face, it frustratingly reveals nothing to you.

"Getting nervous angel." He teases.

"Not in the slightest jerk." You respond with a sly smile, "I'm all in."

"Okay angel, show me what you got." He demands.

You lay down your cards with a smug smile as the others clap and whoop teasingly in Buckys direction. You sit back with your arms folded joyfully.

"Oh baby girl." Bucky purrs in a low voice that rolls through your spine. "You've just learned a valuable lesson."

"And what's that?" You smirk.

"Never underestimate me." He smirks smugly before laying down four of a kind and taking the game to a chorus of laughter and oohs.

"Do I get a prize?" He teases as your mouth hangs agape.

"I won't punch you in the dick?" You offer.

"You weren't going too anyway." He laughs.

"Maybe not but I've definitely thought about it." You tease making the rest of the team laugh.

"Haven't we all." Yelena adds.

"Oooh yay, are we ganging up on Bucky now?" John celebrates.

"Pipe down Walker, you're still target number one." Ava teases forcing you all to chuckle once more.

"Before you two start dry humping," You say pointing between John and Ava who have given up arguing and are just laughing along, "I'm gonna go to bed. Thanks for a fun night guys."

They all give out a chorus of goodbyes as you round the table to exit. As you reach Bucky he stands.

"Walk you up?" He asks shyly, pushing his hands into his pants pockets.

You glance up at him and that cute boyish smile plastered on his face has you weak.

"Sure." You reply and you both head towards the stairs.

"So I never asked," You begin as you match each other's pace. "Where the hell do all the guys sleep? They're always here."

"Oh," He chuckles scratching his neck, "the buildings at the end of the property. I had them converted into apartments for all of them so they had their own space. Sam and Sharon are the only members of the main group that don't live here."

"Wow. Must suck having your boss as your landlord." You tease with a smile.

He laughs softly and places his hand on your back as you begin to climb the stairs to the upper floor.

"I'm sure they hate every second." He responds. "But it's free accommodation, no commute to work and they can always move out whenever they want. I just wanted them to have the option."

"That's surprisingly generous." You admit shyly.

"I like to take care of the people I love." He says seriously, looking at you as you make it to your bedroom door.

You meet his gaze and realize how close he is now that you've stopped. So close you can smell the woodsy cologne he's wearing and see the wrinkles around his stunning blue eyes. You can't help but glance quickly at his plush pillowy lips as your breath hitches.

Before you even know what's happening you push forward and plant your lips on his, seeming to catch him off guard. He is quick to respond. Placing his hands on your hips and clutching firmly as you move your mouth against his and slide your hands up the length of his shirt feeling the taut muscles below until you grip at the collar to keep him anchored to you.

His tongue caresses your lips and you part them to allow him to work it into your mouth. Your stomach is tightening and wetness is pooling in your underwear as the kiss becomes heated, both of your tongues lapping at one another's in unison. Your hands are clutching each other wantingly as soft moans and groans erupt from both of your throats.

"I want you." You whimper through ragged breaths as you part for a moment, the heat in your core driving you to need more.

Bucky looks in your eyes, panting from the kiss and you think he's going to move back in but much to your dismay he takes a step back.

"No." He mumbles swallowing deeply and you sink. You're drunk, horny and now incredibly self conscious, hanging your head in shame at what you've done.

Two fingers slip under your chin and pull your gaze back up to Bucky's.

"It's not that I don't want too." He says softly, "Trust me, I really fucking do."

You sigh but don't break eye contact.

"But you're drunk angel. I want you to be sober when I take you for the first time. I want you to want it as badly as I want you. I want you to remember every single fucking second because believe me baby, I'm gonna make it count."

You inhale deeply as your heart pounds and you nod in understanding despite your pussy wanting to make him change his mind.

"Okay. Goodnight Bucky." You say softly.

"Goodnight angel." He replies, watching as you make your way into your room and close the door.

"I've got eyes on target, moving south." Jake said, looking through the high tech, thermal binoculars as he laid flat on the ground at the edge of the mountain top, looking down at the town below.

"Stay on him." Clay ordered, "We need to see where he's going."

"No problem bo..." Jake began before his nostrils flared and his cock twitched in his pants, body flooding with something he couldn't put a name on, as the most amazing smell filled the air around him, "Oh shit."

"What is it?" Clay asked with concern, stomping across the space between him and Jake.

"What is that?" Jake rasped, dropping the binoculars from his face and taking another deep inhale of the sweet scent.

"What's what?" Clay responded with a raised brow.

"You can't smell that?" Jake breathed, getting up to his feet, sniffing the air around him, "It's incredible. Smells like...oh god...smells like...mate..."

"What?" Clay gasped as Jake continued sniffing the air over the edge of the cliff. "Are you serious?"

Jake couldn't stop breathing the scent in, desperate to follow it, desperate to find his mate, like his instincts were talking for him.

"Jake?" Clay yelled, snapping Jake's attention back to him, as Pooch, Aisha and Cougar ran over to see what was going on.

"Shit, the target?" Jake fumbled, quickly grasping at the binoculars on the floor, realising he'd completely lost track of his mission.

"Forget about the target!" Clay ordered, brows and lips raised in amusement, "Did you say mate? Did you. Jake Jensen. Absolute loser and failure with women. Just say that you smell your mate?"

"Uhh ..yeah I did." Jake said shyly, scratching at the back of his neck, "I think."

The team shared surprised glances between each other while Jake rocked on his feet nervously.

"You think?" Clay responded.

"I mean yeah I can smell someone strong." He shrugged, "Smells like cherries, vanilla, makes me wanna go home, but that home is wherever that smell is. Is that...normal?"

"Well shit Jensen!" Clay exclaimed with a grin, clapping Jake on the shoulder and shaking him as Jake smiled with a blush.

"Congratulations man!" Pooch cheered, whilst Cougar offered Jake a nod of his head.

"New mission fellas," Clay announced, "We're gonna go find Jakey boys mate."

"But..the target..." Jake argued feebly.

"The target can wait! Need to find your mate before she smells you and realises you're a loser. " Clay teased, ruffling Jakes hair, while he batted him away.

"Ha. Funny." Jake deadpanned, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Just kidding buddy, I'm happy for ya." Clay said sincerely before looking at the other losers and clapping his hands together loudly, "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go find Jensen's omega."

The group whooped and cheered as they made quick work of packing up their gear, ready to start a new mission. A mission that would lead to you.

"This way." Jake ordered desperately, hanging his head out of the passenger side window, sniffing the air frantically while Pooch drove, "Shit she's close."

They pulled into a small culdesac, idling along slowly as Jake scented the area. As they pulled up beside one of the large houses, his body stiffened, filled with anticipation and want.

"This is it." He rasped nervously, "This house. Shes here."

Pooch pulled along the curb and Jake jumped out, followed by Clay and Aisha, while the other two watched on from the truck.

They stopped at the gate and Jake's hand stilled on the white picket fence,

"Fuck. Do I look okay?" He rambled, "Do I smell okay? What do I say?"

"He's losing it." Clay smirked in amusement.

"Move out of the way." Aisha scolded, nudging Clay back so she could place a comforting hand on Jake's arm as he looked longingly at your front door. "Hey, Jake?"

"Yeah." He grumbled.

"Calm down okay." Aisha coaxed softly, "You're gonna do great, she's your mate, she's gonna love you. Just be yourself."

"Right. Myself." Jake mumbled to himself, "I can do that. Sure. Here goes nothing."

He pushed the gate open while Clay and Aisha watched on proudly from the opening like adoring parents.

His hands shook and his heartbeat quickened the closer he got to the door, your scent luring him in like a siren.

His fist raised and he shook his head, scolding himself for being so nervous. He was an alpha, he could do this, he'd told himself.

The knock vibrated through the door and Jake waited with bated breath as he heard the sounds of small feet scampering along wooden floors, before the latch clicked.

Meanwhile you had been restless all day, your neck had been throbbing right over the spot where mating glands appear and you felt like lightning had shot through your whole body, like it knew something was coming.

When the door rattled later on that day, your body stilled, eyes widening in fear before a soothing smell permeated the air.

As you inhaled your breath hitched and your throat tightened, a tear slipping over your cheek as the smell of old wood and spice called out to you, mate.

You knew you shouldn't move closer, you knew you should turn around and walk away, but you couldn't stop your feet as they pattered towards the wooden door, towards home.

You shakily pulled on the lock, and opened the door, eyes falling onto the most beautiful man you'd ever seen in your life. From his blond tips and goatee down to his board shorts and flip flops. Everything about him was just.. right, but nothing was ever that simple.

"Hello can I help you?" You squeaked nervously, tamping down the desperate urge to jump into the alphas arms.

"Hi, uhh I'm Jake. Jensen. Jake Jensen." Jake rambled, scratching the back of his neck nervously, as his whole body flooded with warmth at the sound of your voice and the sight of your beauty, "Shit. Sorry I'm nervous. You're beautiful. Fuck."

"Let her talk Jake!" Clay yelled from the gateway and Jake let out a nervous huff of laughter while you watched on with a lump in your throat.

"Sorry. Hi." He repeated shyly, lips curving up into a gorgeous welcoming smile.

"Hi. I don't..." You breathed nervously, suddenly aware of the open street and the rules you'd broken, "You can't be here."

"What?" Jake almost whimpered in dejection from those few words alone.

"You need to leave." You rasped desperately, "Now."

"But..I'm..and you're...I..." Jake mumbled as his eyes narrowed and the smile slipped from his face.

"He'll be home soon, if he smells you..." You pleaded, holding back the tears that threatened to fall, "Please...I can't do this...I have to go."

You slammed the door quickly, quickly closing the lock.

"Well shit." Jake huffed before stomping down the path with his head lowered.

"What happened?" Clay asked, worry painting his face.

"She told me to leave." Jake muttered.

"What?" Aisha gasped in shock, following behind him as he made his way back to the van.

"Yeah. I dunno." He muttered shakily, "She seemed scared. Could smell it on her."

"Scared of you?" Clay queried with a raised brow.

"I dunno. But I don't think I wanna give up." Jake sighed, "Sorry. I know that sounds stupid."

"Not stupid Jake." Aisha comforted.

"They got a hotel round here?" Clay asked, directing his attention to Pooch and Cougar.

"Two blocks away, four rooms, already on it." Pooch confirmed, not even glancing up from the phone in his hand as he typed away.

"Thanks guys." Jake smiled sadly.

"No problem," Clay replied, placing a comforting hand on Jake's shoulder, "We'll figure it out."

You collapsed against the back of the door, breath heaving and heart hammering. You had just seen your mate. Yours. But how?

You'd always been told you wouldn't have one. You were broken, not complete, a worthless omega.

You'd spent your teen life watching from the sidelines as your peers went through puberty, experiencing their first ruts and heats with excitement as they finally found out their designations.

Meanwhile, you were carted around to different doctors by your alpha mother and beta father, having test after test to find out what was wrong.

The results were conclusive, you would never have a heat, you would never get your mating glands, you could never bare pups. Although it had been obvious from your anatomy and profile that you should have presented as omega, it's like your body just stopped there, like it gave up and didn't provide you with anything else, you didn't even have a smell, so how this alpha found you you didn't know.

Your mother and father abandoned you soon after, a broken omega wasn't what they'd dreamt of, didn't fit into your mother's picture perfect life, so at the age of 18, you were on your own.

Now here you were at almost 30 and you were more confused than ever. Why would fate give you a mate only for you to never be good enough, for you to not be able to do what an omega should do for their alpha. The thought alone had your neck pulsing and throbbing once more as you sobbed against the door.

"Honey!" Grant called as he stepped over the threshold of your home.

You quickly tucked the bleach into the cupboard, hoping all your frantic cleaning had been enough to dampen the overwhelming smell of the alpha that had been near your home, despite wanting to soak in his scent.

"Hey, you're home." You smiled feebly as he crossed into the kitchen, his nose wrinkled and a scowl on his face.

"What the fuck is that smell?" He snarled angrily as he crossed the space, wrinkles forming over his hairless head as he continued to scrunch up his face in disgust.

"What smell?" You said anxiously, playing with your shaky hands behind your back as your heart rate accelerated, "I don't smell anything."

"Don't play fucking dumb with me bitch, I smell another alpha." He yelled, stomping over to you and taking your arm in his fist, "You had a man in here?"

"No. I promise I haven't." You began to plead, "There was a guy, he knocked on the door that's it, I sent him away I promise."

"Do you realise how lucky you are that I chose you?" Grant snarled, nose touching yours as he bore down on you, "That I felt sorry for your broken ass and took you in anyway."

"I do." You whimpered, "I know."

You did know how lucky you were. He found you a few years ago and decided to date you despite your flaws, claiming he never wanted kids or the annoying link that came with a mating bond.

He'd had his own bad luck after his own mate rejected him and it felt like fate that you'd met each other at the time.

When his true colours started to show, you made constant excuses for his behaviour blaming yourself for not being good enough, though he made sure to remind you at every opportunity that you were correct and you were lucky to have him.

You'd moved in quickly, after only six months of dating, convinced that he was your only chance, you never imagined that one day you would have a mate of your own, one whom you already felt drawn too, like he could protect you and keep you safe from everyone and everything, including the man now leaving bruises on your arm and frothing at the mouth in temper.

"So why are you lying to me?" He growled, saliva spitting from his mouth, landing on your face.

"I'm not I swear I would never..." You whimpered

His free hand raised, thwacking through the air as his knuckles connected to your cheek with a thud. If it wasn't for his hold on you, you would have probably ended up on the floor.

"Lying fucking bitch!" He yelled while tears began pooling in your eyes and your cheek throbbed, "His smell is all over you!"

"I didn't..I..." You stammered as a lump travelled up your throat, trying desperately to plead your innocence. You knew you never should have opened that door, he didn't like when you did.

"Shut up!" He commanded.

Your jaw snapped shut, body going rigid and tears streaming down your face from the alpha command.

"Better." He growled, "Now get your ass up stairs and present for your alpha. I'm gonna show you just what happens when you let another alpha touch you."

On the other side of town, Jake was pacing back and forth in the hotel bar while most of his teammates sat with their drinks of choice.

"Something's wrong." He muttered, hands gripping his hips, "Clay. Something's wrong. I can feel it. I don't know how but I can."

"Calm down Jensen." Clay responded from his seat, "What do you mean something's wrong?"

Jake shook his head at the ground, feet still moving of their own accord as his body filled with a horrible feeling that he couldn't understand, he just knew he needed to get to you.

"I don't know," He sighed, "I just feel it. She's hurting. She's scared."

"Cougar is on lookout, he'd report if something happened, last we heard she was still at home." Clay attempted to reassure him.

Jake stilled in front of Clay, eyes widened in fear, "I'm telling you clay, something's wrong. We gotta get over there."

"Just...hang on..." Clay ordered softly, pulling his phone from his pocket and quickly pressing it to his ear, "Cougar, do you have eyes on the target?"

"Still at home, no change." Cougar confirmed through the phone.

"See, she's home." Clay sighed at Jake, pressing his lips in a flat line.

"Clay. Please?" Jake pleaded, watching as Clay's resolve snapped and his need to help his teammate and friend took over.

"Fuck fine. Okay." He said with a nod, jumping from his seat before turning to Aisha and Pooch, "Stay here. It's probably nothing. The two of us will go and Cougar will watch our six."

They responded with nods as Jake muttered impatiently to himself, "Okay. Okay. Let's go."

"Jensen. Calm down." Clay said softly, placing his hand on Jake's shoulder as they made their way to the exit of the hotel.

"Calm down." Jake mumbled anxiously, "Right. Yup. On it."

You were curled in a ball on the bed, naked and covered in bruises from the hits you'd taken. Your pussy was sore and leaking with cum while your whole body shook from the fear.

Grant was stood at the end of the bed, tucking his shirt back into his pants with a proud smile on his face whenever he glanced back at your quivering form.

Suddenly your mating gland spot began throbbing again and you jumped when a loud knock resonated from downstairs.

Grant tutted in disapproval before sending a warning snarl your way and heading out of the room.

The knock sounded again and Grant threw the door open, eyes falling on Jake and Clay who stood in the doorway, Clay's hands tucked into his trousers while Jake looked around nervously.

"What do you want?" He snapped, eyes narrowing on the two while his nostrils flared, "Who the hell are you?"

"Hello sir my name is Clay." Clay replied calmly with a smile on his face, "Me and my friend here are new to the neighbourhood and just wanted to introduce ourselves, right Jake?"

"Right, yeah." Jake muttered, glancing behind Grant into the house.

Grant inhaled, eyes zeroing in on Jake as his fists clenched.

"You!" He yelled, pointing a finger in the other alphas face, "You were here earlier!"

"Uhh...well I mean..." Jake stuttered nervously, looking over at Clay for support, as he tried to work out how to play the scenario out.

"You the one sniffing near my woman?" Grant snarled.

"Your woman?" Jake said back with an underbite of something possessive and angry at the new information.

"Yeah, my fucking woman!" Grant continued.

"Well funny story," Clay chuffed, "Jensen here is actually her mate, so if you don't mind we'd just like to talk to her, check she's okay."

"Mate?" Grant snorted in amusement, "She can't have a mate."

"What do you mean?" Jake replied in confusion.

"Ha!" Grant laughed loudly, "You think you're gonna come here and find some perfect omega to take away and cherish? Sorry to disappoint you but she's a mess, she's broken, incomplete."

Jake's fists began to clench, body tightening as Grant spoke so unkindly about his mate, the woman he already couldn't stop thinking about.

"No mating glands, no smell, never had a heat." Grant continued with a smirk, "She's useless. Can't even do what an omega should. She's lucky I took pity on her ass."

"Stop." Jake muttered before narrowing his eyes on Grant and deepening his tone, "Stop talking about her like that."

"What? You defending her already?" Grant scoffed, "Trust me when you know how pathetic she is you won't want her either."

You whimpered in pain on the bed as your body began to convulse. Pain seared through your bones, neck throbbing and body weakening, something was wrong, something more than just the bruises you'd been left with.

"What the fuck? Is she okay?" Jake yelled, hearing your cries from the upstairs of the home, "Let me see her!"

He attempted to step inside the door, only to be pushed back by the other alpha harshly.

"Stay the fuck out of my house. She's fine." Grant sneered, "Just got taught a lesson about letting other alphas near her."

"You fucking asshole!" Jake yelled angrily, instincts going haywire that his mate needed him, that he needed to protect her.

There was no warning before the first crack of Jake's fist landed across Grant's jaw, forcing him to stumble back into the home.

Grant let out an angry snarl before launching himself back at the other man, punching him in the stomach. Jake retaliated in kind, unleashing his fists onto the other man as he continued to try and gain access to the house.

You heard the commotion between the waves of nausea and dizziness, slowly making your way to the stairs where your eyes fell on the scene of the brawl on the lower floor.

"Grant." You whimpered.

All of a sudden, three sets of eyes snapped to you, bodies stilling as they watched your body turn white.

"Something's wrong." You whispered before you collapsed to the ground with a thud.

Your eyes flickered open, pain throbbing through your core and a dull ache on your neck. When they focused, you looked around the sterile room as your heart hammered in fear, confusion filling your mind as you recalled being at home and now you were somewhere else entirely.

You looked to the side, suddenly noticing a figure sitting on a chair a couple of feet away, blonde hair running through thick fingers while his elbows rested on his knees.

You cleared your throat dryly and Jake's head raised, eyes snapping to yours and relief washing through his body.

"Hey, you're awake." He said as the tension dropped from his shoulders.

He quickly shuffled his chair closer to the bed and took your hand in his, pleased when you didn't try to shrug him off.

You felt the roughness of his hands against your own and a blush rose up your chest.

"What happened?" You rasped, "Where's Grant?"

"Far away from here if he knows what's good for him." Jake scoffed with a furrow in his brow, as his thumb rubbed gently over your knuckles.

"What do you mean?" You whimpered in confusion.

"Sweetheart....Shit sorry." He mumbled to himself before turning to you with a serious expression, "But listen. You're my mate, mine. I'm not gonna stand by and watch that man beat you to death. I had to get rid of him, to keep you safe. You're mine and I want you, if you'll have me."

"You don't understand." You sniffed as a tear fell onto your cheek, "I'm not.. I'm not right."

As much as you wanted to be free from Grant, to fall into the arms of this alpha who looked at you like you hung the moon, you knew he didn't understand how wrong he was about you, you weren't right for him.

"I know about your problems." He admitted and your eyes widened in surprise, mouth dropping open as he continued, "I know and I don't care. I want you and I'll never treat you like that. I promise."

You felt a sob rip through your chest. Could you really be with your mate, could he really look past everything and take you as you were, could you be free?

"Okay..." You whispered shyly.

"Okay?" Jake repeated, lips curling up into a grin.

You nodded, blush spreading across your cheeks before your brows furrowed once more, mind racing over everything that had happened.

"How...how did you find me?" You asked curiously.

"Smelt you a mile away." Jake grinned, "I knew right then I had to find you."

"You...you smelt me..." You gasped in surprise, "But I..I don't..."

The door to your room swung open and a short beta man in a white coat walked in, clipboard in hand and a friendly smile on his face.

"Good morning, you're awake, fantastic." The doctor beamed as he crossed the space, stopping in front of the bed.

Jake's hand clutched supportively on your hand as you both looked up at the doctor with worry placing your brows.

"We found the cause of the collapse." He began, "Thankfully none of your injuries are life threatening, just bruising."

"So what happened?" You rasped nervously.

"Your body was flooded with hormones, it overtook your whole system and it was a lot to take at once." He replied, flicking the paper on the clipboard with a hum.

You only grew more confused at what the doctor was saying.

"Hormones? I don't..." You mumbled.

"Yep." The doctor smiled, "I looked over your file. Seems your last doctor was wrong, you are a perfectly healthy omega, just a late bloomer it seems. Something must have happened because it's all kicking in at once."

Jake gaped at the doctor wide eyed, flicking back to your confused expression.

"Kicking in?" You replied with a squirm.

"Yep, your glands have come in," He nodded, pointing to your neck, "Practically overnight and you are in the early stages of your first heat."

"What? Heat?" You panicked suddenly, completely overwhelmed and confused, "But I can't...I don't..."

"Doctor. I think..maybe this is a bit overwhelming..." Jake interrupted, squeezing your hand in his once more, immediately helping to calm you, "Could you slow it down a bit?"

"Right of course." The doctor sighed with a caring smile, "Has anything changed recently in your life? Anything big?"

You looked back at Jake, heart warming at just the mere sight of him and swallowed thickly.

"I'm her mate." Jake nodded, "We just met."

"That'll do it." The doctor chuckled, "It seems that the introduction of your mate has triggered your hormones to finally do what they are supposed to do."

It couldn't be could it? All you needed all this time was Jake.

"Really?" You squeaked.

"Yes, your glands are now fully formed and you are in the first stage of coming into heat." The doctor repeated more clearly and slowly this time.

"I'm not...broken?" You whispered, feeling Jake's hand clutch tightly around yours.

"You're a perfectly healthy omega and your body is doing all the things it should." The doctor said softly.

You let out a whimper as tears began to trickle down your cheeks, but not from fear, for the first time in so long, there were tears of real joy.

"Do you have somewhere safe you can go to make it through your heat?" The doctor asked and your gaze snapped to his.

"I...I don't.." You panicked, remembering that your home wasn't your home anymore.

"You can stay with me." Jake offered shyly, "If you want. I mean..you don't have too."

"Yes. Please." You gasped without a second's thought, knowing your alpha would keep you safe.

"Okay." Jake smiled, "Then you will."

"Okay wonderful," The doctor said happily, "Well in that case I just have some paperwork for you to sign and you're free to go."

"Okay, I have my shirts, some blankets, hot water bottle, water, snacks, a couple new stuffies, we've got the fan if you get too hot, the heater if you get too cold, the TV if you get bored." Jake reeled off nervously, looking around the secure hotel room while you sat back on the bed, watching him with a smile tugging at your lips, "Shit is that everything..."

"Jake." You called out.

"Yeah?" He sighed, placing his hands on his hips as he continued cataloguing the items he'd prepared for you.

"You need to relax." You chuffed.

"I'm sorry." He said, exhaling a breath before finally looking back at you, body softening at the sight of your smile, "I just...I want everything to be perfect for you, I wanna make sure you have everything you could possibly need so you're comfortable and happy."

"You've done more for me in the last day than anyone else has my whole life." You responded shyly.

"I would do anything for you." Jake replied without skipping a breath, like it was the most obvious statement in the world, while tears pooled in your eyes, "And I'm sorry no one else did."

"It's not your fault." You sniffed, swiping your tears away with your fingers.

"Well I'm here now." He said crossing the space, sitting on the edge of the bed and placing his hand in yours, "You're my mate, I'll always take care of you."

You lept forward, throwing your arms around his neck and settling yourself in his lap. You buried your head against his soft shirt, inhaling his soothing scent with a content hum.

Jake's eyes widened in surprise but he quickly recovered, wrapping his arms around your waist and holding you against him whilst savouring how right it felt to have you there.

You pulled your head back, looking deep into Jake's eyes, seeing nothing but care, admiration and something soft and deeper. Everything about him screamed safety and you could already feel your stomach tightening at the mere sight of him.

Jake's throat bobbed as he gazed back at you, palms twitching against your waist like he was holding himself back.

"Can I...can I kiss you?" He whispered softly, "Is that okay?"

You mewled deep in your throat at the request, breath caught in your lungs.

"Please." You gasped.

He breached the gap calmly, gently pressing his lips to yours and sighing into the kiss, pressing your body tightly against his chest. A quiet whimper broke from your throat at the feel of his plush lips on yours and you clutched your arms tightly around his neck.

Your lips began working against eachother slowly, soft flesh parting as you swallowed eachothers gasps before his tongue carefully slid into your mouth.

You let out a low hum as you finally got a proper taste of him, minty and fresh and so perfect. You pressed your tongue against his, grinding down in his lap as the kiss became hungrier and you felt slick leak into your panties.

"Mmm baby..." Jake mumbled against your lips, before pulling back with a pant, "Your heats starting."

"How do you know?" You asked breathlessly, eyes wide and face flushed from your make out session.

"I can smell it, fuck." Jake groaned in a low tone, "Maybe I shouldn't be here, I don't know if I'll be able to control myself. You smell so good already."

His arms began to slip from around you, attempting to let you up so he could give you space.

"So don't." You breathed, holding him tighter so he wouldn't let you go .

"Okay," He sighed with a sullen nod, "I'll go but you call me if you need any..."

"Jake, I meant don't control yourself." You smiled softly at his misinterpretation, "I want you to be here, I want to do this together."

"Fuck, are you sure?" He gasped, eyes searching your own for any sign of nerves or hesitance, for any sign that you weren't truly ready to be his.

"I am." You replied confidently.

"Okay." Jake grinned, "Then we're doing this."

An hour later you were laid back on the bed as painful cramps tore through your stomach in relentless waves.

You were surrounded by Jake's scent, his shirts lying around you like a protective barrier, while the man himself paced back and forth at the end of the bed like he was holding onto the last of his self restraint.

"Oh god. It hurts so bad." You whined, writhing around while sweat pooled on your brow.

"It's okay baby I got you." Jake said softly, despite the tick in his jaw and his rock hard cock pressing into his shorts, "What do you need? More water? I can get you a cold towel or a..."

"Need you Jake." You pleaded up at him with wide, water filled eyes, "Please."

"Fuck. Yes. Okay." He muttered, tearing his clothes from his body before they could glue themselves to his skin and he thudded over to the bed, "I'm coming. I'll look after you."

He crawled into bed next to you, cock pressing hard and weeping against your thigh. His lips crazed the skin of your neck while his fingertips brushed along your thigh, gently tickling over your slick clit.

The small contact alone had a breath of relief leaving your lungs and you bucked your hips up to get more.

"Does that feel okay?" He whispered against your neck.

"More Jake, need more." You whined desperately, bucking your hips again.

"Okay I got you baby." Jake said with a smirk at your desperation, "Here you go."

He slipped two fingers over your pussy lips before pushing them straight into your core, while you let out a satisfied groan, releasing more slick over his knuckles.

"Oh god." You groaned, back arching to chase the pleasure.

"There we go, that feel better baby?" Jake purred as he worked his fingers in and out of you, "You're sucking my fingers all the way up in there."

"Mmm so good." You moaned, loving the way he scissored his fingers inside of you, getting you ready to take his cock.

You'd never felt anything like it, never enjoyed sex, never got slick, never felt pleasure, you just did it to keep Grant happy. Now you understood what you'd been missing as Jake drove you towards the edge of an abyss you were desperate to disappear into.

Jake slipped another finger into your core, watching with darkened eyes and his mouth agape as you gushed around his hand, submitting to the pleasure only he could give you.

"Alpha." You gasped and Jake groaned deep in his throat, cock leaking over your thigh.

"What is it omega?" He purred lowly, "Tell me what you need."

"Need your knot alpha, please." You whined impatiently.

Jake's last shred of restraint snapped and his fingers left you the second the words left your lips.

He hovered over you, arms braced either side of your head and looking down at you like a man who'd been starved for years and you were the first morsel of food he'd seen.

"Last chance to back out baby, if you want me to stop." He offered with a ragged breath.

"Please alpha." You whimpered with a pout.

He surged down onto you, slipping his tongue straight into your throat as you gasped and he rutted his cock against your folds, nudging your clit.

You moaned against him, feeling his lips curve up into a smile.

When the head of his cock pushed through your folds, your lips parted from each other's while you let out a loud groan at the stretch, the girth of him like nothing you'd ever felt but so perfect.

"Fuck 'mega." He mumbled, burying his face in the crook of your neck and taking your hps in his strong palms.

With a few incredibly sensational thrusts, he buried himself inside of you, letting out a satisfied breath of relief when his cock was fully seated inside your wet cavern.

You could only mewl, whimper and moan as he began a fast pace with his hips, pistoning himself inside of you and slamming against your cervix.

"Gonna fill you up 'mega, gonna take my knot so good." He groaned into your skin.

Every slam of his hips sent you closer and closer to the edge, bliss just a stones throw away. You threw your arms around his back, clinging onto him like you were afraid to let go of the one thing keeping you anchored to earth.

"Gonna mate you 'mega, gonna claim you." Jake continued in a lust fueled rant, as he too was overtaken by the sexual bliss your cunt was providing him.

"Please alpha." You whined, "Wanna be yours."

Jake's head snapped back, staring you directly in the eyes as his breath left his lungs.

"You really want that?" He gasped almost shyly, despite currently dominating every part of you.

"Yeah," You breathed back, "I want too Jake, I wanna be yours."

"Oh fuck." He groaned happily, shoving his face back into your neck as he rutted harder and faster before, knot beginning to swell inside of you, stretching you in the way only he could.

A few moments later, you let out a cry of pleasure, when Jake's teeth grazed against your mating gland, before sinking in slowly.

Your cunt pulsed at the sensation, body filling with his essence, with everything that was him, his safety, his care, his strength, his love.

Your coil snapped and your pussy clamped down on his cock as the blissful high washed over your body.

Jake's cock twitched in response, knot full and locking inside you as he reached his own orgasm and began filling you with ropes and ropes of warm alpha come.

Electricity zipped through your spine, brain fuzzing and ears warming as your orgasm rushed through you, eliminating all of the pain you had been experiencing not long before.

When it washed over you, you slumped back against the mattress, panting heavily, eyes glazed with happiness.

Jake released your skin from his teeth, carefully lapping up the small pool of blood before placing a tender kiss against your mating gland.

His cock stayed nestled inside you, locking you together while he continued to fill you with his seed.

"You okay?" He whispered, placing a palm along your jaw softly.

"More than okay." You smiled, "Better than I've ever been."

Everything tag - @late-to-the-party-81

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