Bucky couldn’t forget that he’d almost punched a 15-year-old’s face in without realizing it. Anxiety rolled in his head whenever he saw Peter without his mask. Tonight was no exception.
Peter was hunched behind a pile of physics books and loose papers, headphones in, squinting at his laptop. The digital glow highlighted his black eye and bruised, swollen jaw. Bucky had been sitting across the room for almost 15 minutes without being noticed, that worried him more than anything. Was Peter’s intuition blunted by exhaustion, or were his injuries worse than they thought? But their resident psychics and AI had all said he was fine. He must be fine. When (if) Bucky was cleared for missions, he resolved to try and get assigned as the kid’s backup. He knew Peter wasn’t fragile, he knew that not many people could land a hit on him anyway, it was just that the ones who could made it count. And this skinny little nerd was trying to catch up on his homework after getting pounded, that’s what drove Bucky crazy. Was he ever going to just stop and sleep?
Bucky took a moment to appreciate the irony of him, the master of insomnia, judging someone else’s poor sleeping habits before shoving off from his chair and heading to the fridge.
Something shiny reached over Peter’s elbow and planted a bottle in front of his face. Peter, lost in diagrams, Twenty-One Pilots, and blurring vision, almost had a heart attack. He yanked his headphones out just in time to catch the words “…’n all-nighter?” and see Barnes looming over him.
“What?” Peter squeaked. Dignified, the small, awake part of his brain grumbled. “Oh…yeah, pulling an all-nighter, sorry I didn’t catch the first part of that, ah – it’s just that I’ve already called in so many extensions and this paper is 30% of my grade, and then finals is next month and I just need to finish this…coffee? Yesss!”
Peter guzzled half of his new iced frappucino in two seconds. Bucky stifled a chuckle. “Take short naps. Set a timer. Results’ll be better than just trudging through with no breaks. Soviet assassin tip,” he added, because today wasn’t a bad day and he could joke about that.
This was more consecutive sentences than Barnes had said to Peter since…since they met, even? Peter gaped, which turned into a full-blown yawn, which made the right side of his face ache. “Thanks?”
Barnes nodded, “Sleep tomorrow, okay punk.” It sounded like an order.
Peter gave an only possibly-intelligible affirmation, but Barnes was satisfied enough to nod and leave without another word. Peter watched, then stretched, cracked his neck, and held the cold coffee to his cheek as he fumbled for the timer on his phone. The nearest couch was only a few yards away, that would do. If he got in his own bed he would never crawl out of it.
Bucky was pretty sure that no teenager could relax with a metal-armed public menace lurking in the corner, so he left Peter to hopefully sleep. Anyway, he had rounds to make before he could wind down, so he let his feet fall into their nocturnal path around HQ, and he thought.
Peter was gonna keep getting hurt. Bucky had yelled at Sam about wanting to yell at Stark for being a selfish piece of shit about that, because this was a kid who should have a life. Then Sam showed him the YouTube videos of Spider-Man drop-kicking armed robbers and giant metal bird men in nothing stronger than sneakers and swim goggles, and Bucky realized that Peter threw himself between people and danger whether he was bulletproof or not. So on this at least, Bucky agreed with Stark: keeping Peter nearby, giving him state-of-the-art suits and the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes at his back, was the only way to protect him short of sitting on him.
But he was gonna keep getting hurt. Clever, moral, empathetic…Bucky’s brain may be as coherent as a bowl of pudding some days, but he knew enough about that type to realize that black eyes and sleepless nights were inevitable.
A few minutes later, it hit him that he’d called Peter, “Punk.”
Thor enjoyed the pleasant fragrances of Midgardian soaps. The one in the common-floor bathroom was labelled “Lavender Daydream” and was tinted a mild purple. It had a gentle floral scent with a slightly acrid undertone, and Thor wondered absently if Midgard had an actual plant named lavender, or if it was like blue-flavored drinks, with no non-artificial analogue. With Midgard, there was no way to tell. Regardless, it was a pleasing scent, and Thor would enjoy the soothing scent and gentle moisturizing properties of the liquid.
Midgard was such a fascinating world.
Thor toweled his hands dry and stepped out of the bathroom, intending to head towards the kitchen. Bruce had left some curry in the fridge, and Thor wanted to test his mettle against his perennial foe, the spicy pepper.
He took one imperious stride into the common room and tripped. He caught himself on lavender-scented palms, just shy of sprawling flat on his face on the carpet.
Sitting innocently in the middle of the hallway was Mjolnir.
Strange. He was sure he’d left his hammer on the sofa.
kingofmemes posted:
common room rules state that anything unlabeled is fair for anyone to use. shoulda put a sticky note on your mythological weapon of unimaginable power before you left it on my seat buddy
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
This is everything a recovery fic should be.
It’s focus is on Bucky, instead of using his pain to develop another character. It respects him, shows his strengths, even when those strengths are just tiny things like being able to buy himself a sandwich. It gives him a world outside of Steve, and that world isn’t just Steve’s other friends. He has complex PTSD, functions at a level below what is considered normal for an adult, and is dealing with other mental disturbances, but is written as a human, and a strong human, at that.
The humour is never at Bucky’s expense, and yet it’s really, REALLY funny. And it’s usually Bucky making the jokes because, as I said before, he’s treated like a human and not just a macguffin.
They’re full of angst, but also very funny. (I have been moved to tears and also laughed out loud while reading.) The depictions of each character (and remember there are many Avengers) feel authentic even as some of it strays from canon. Even the OCs are great.
I especially love the premise that this group of superheroes and friends make up a funny little family by choice. They’ve each experienced varying degrees and kinds of trauma and they all cope with it in different ways.
2. wear comfortable shoes. if everything goes wrong you may have to run for your life. you may also have to do that if everything goes right.
3. remember that children arent ready for real knives, guns, & explosives until about 8, so even if they seem competent, dont arm them
4. confidence and consistency are key; omnipotence is not. it is okay to say you dont know something. it is not okay to act erratically. they are still learning how to anticipate behavior and may strike if startled
5. use sweets and naptimes judiciously. coincidentally, this is also a good technique for dealing with geniuses and supersoldiers
it is because i am a much cuddlier person than steve. steve likes to wear skintight tshirts and is made of 98% granite carved in the shape of muscles. (the remaining 2% is freedom) i am made of murder and layers of knitwear with a leather jacket over top. plus an undetermined quantity of knives. but still. much cuddlier. its why my stabbing habit is such a tragedy
this meeting is really boring so i got steve to make me a little drawing. i didnt tell him what it was for. i did the labelling
I was thinking about that question Seb got asked at Wizard World about how Bucky was making money in the two years before Civil War no Mackie he was not a dancerand consider this:
Bucky as a cook.
scary-good with knives
never needs an order repeated / never fucks one up
working through his ‘automatic-obedience’ trauma in a low-stakes environment
hidden away from the public / less chance of being spotted
using the supersoldier!stamina to stay on his feet for hours without flagging and the grace to move around the kitchen like a dancer
telling the other staff he has a badly burned arm/hand (which is why he’s shy and has to wear a glove all the time)
picking up red-hot pans/handling hot food without getting burned because he’s using his metal hand
getting the habit of wearing his hair up in a bun (or in a hairnet!!)
learning to enjoy food again
(aka, how he got thicc)
because the Winter Soldier only ever ate to replenish energy or was force-fed through a tube
going to the market for good produce for the restaurant (plums!!)
being an uppity restaurant-patron’s worst nightmare when they make the mistake of asking to see the Chef.
sorry but – Bucky starts watching this guy’s videos on youtube, his face is never shown and Bucky’s sure there’s a little bit of post-production work screwing with his voice but he has great videos – and he’s sure the guy is former army or something, he’s definitely been around, there’s some very distinctive knifework going on – it’s years later when he’s in Portland eating what is the best fucking burger of his life that he realizes who made it and dashes into the kitchen – the chef instantly positions himself between Bucky and his staff, knife at the ready – ‘I am your biggest fan, can I cook with you?’ – Bucky gets tazered by a blonde dropping on him from the ceiling – best burger ever
Tony couldn’t seep. Sometimes he managed a few hours if he was tired enough, so usually he went to the gym and worked out until he was exhausted. Tonight, though, he found the gym already occupied: Barnes, with his hair tied up, working steadily at the heavy bag. Normally Tony would make an awkward comment and leave him to it, but instead he just heads for the opposite side of the gym. After setting up at one of the far treadmills, Tony worked his way to a easy run. Barnes was laying his fists rhythmically into the bag, and the quiet thumping was sort of strangely soothing. Between the running and the thumping, Tony slipped into a near-trancelike state.
And then Barnes let out an ungodly howl, drew back his left fist, and slammed it straight through the heavy bag with a roar of, “DIE A THOUSAND BURNING DEATHS!”
Tony fell off the treadmill, scrambled to his feet, and booked it to the elevator.
kingofmemes posted:
holy shit you guys there was a spider on my punching bag !!! thanks to my many years of combat experience & martial arts training things are okay now
i have learned that the correct verb is smash. and i meant the scientists that made pluto not a planet but Dr banner has strong opinions on the topic. i also have strong opinions. it just turns out that his are stronger. and greener.
Concept: Some jackass shows Bucky how to make a blog and it becomes really popular. Not because it’s the blog of James Buchanan Barnes, American Legend, War Hero, Infamous Assassin, Alleged Terrorist. Nobody even knows it’s his blog. It gets really popular because people think it’s a really great shitpost generator or something. Because Bucky is just a Weird Fucking Person and everything he posts on his fucking personal blog comes off as somewhere between dril and Jaden Smith and people are like “this is some quality garbage right here” and thus Accidental Memelord Bucky is born.
Bucky posts things like
“What is wrong with bananas. I ate a banana today and it was Wrong. America why”
“Every time I put on my eye makeup it gets bigger. My whole face is eyeliner now.”
“Why does friendship feel so much like punching”
“When I wake up in the middle of the night I am either thinking ‘who am I? does my life have meaning?’ or “did I already eat all of the plums?’”
“Why are you so grumpy” they ask me. they do not realize this is just my Face.”
“I know i said i would give my left arm for a cup of coffee but i am more awake now and i would like my arm back please”
“I guess I must have done something horrible in a past life. I mean. I definitely did something horrible in this life, so. “
OMG I LOVEEEE
YEEESSSSSSS!
“Guy in front of me won’t move his car seat up. I think that might still be upset about all those times I tried to kill him.”
“Got lectured by a guy who had been complaining about how things were Back In The Day. I don’t understand why he got upset. I too lived through the Great Depression and was drafted for the War.”
“The economy in this century sucks. Who exactly though another Stock Market crash was a good idea?”
“Apparently, it was Rude™ of me to pitch in my two cents on a conversation I happened to overhear, despite agreeing with them. On an unrelated note, I am no longer allowed in the ceiling vents.”
“‘If you don’t behave we’ll send (mutual) after you.’ Jokes on them. I’m the one who trained them to be an assassin in the first place.”
“Tried to buy a Chicken Dinner candy bar at the supermarket today. Turns out they were discontinued 54 years ago. Super bummed.”
“Wait. People were on the moon?! We got into space? There is a way off of this rock?! Why am I only just hearing about this?!”
“’Have you been living under a rock the past 50 years?’ No I was cryogenically frozen for 70. I don’t appreciate your tone young man.”
“My friend likes convincing people that I’m the Reckless one in our friendship. As if he won’t find an alley behind a bar to pick a fight in if I take my eyes off him for two seconds.”
“Why would i want to get a haircut when instead I can look like i just returned from a 12 year jaunt in the wilderness every time i grow a beard”
“was having a hard time finding noodles in the grocery store & asked a clerk for help. she looked at me like a crazy person. lady, it’s not my fault you don’t speak russian”
“what kind of idiot thinks dancers are sissies? literally every ballerina i have ever met could kill an adult man with just her legs”
“today i discovered Conditioner. the future is a miracle and my hair like a cloud now”
“apparently just jumping on to a moving bus when you are running late is not a thing people do anymore. please stop yelling at me.”
“went to a club last night to see what the hip kids were into. apparently the latest thing is just having sex standing up with your clothes on in a room full of people.”
“on the one hand, people dressed much nicer in the 40s. on the other hand, yoga pants.”
“rode in a car with heated seats today. it is my house now. i live here.”
“i have acquired a small bear. i am putting a collar and leash on him. he is my dog. no one tell animal control”
“i am working on this whole Good Guy thing but anyone who cuts me in line at starbucks deserves to have their kneecaps shot out okay”
“why did they have to make escalators so terrifying to get on and off of? from now on I’m just jumping off the mall balconies. none of this awful moving teeth staircase”
“i don’t care if it’s a ‘priceless historical artifact,’ punk, i didn’t wanna do the dishes and it makes a pretty good spaghetti bowl”
“hoodie pockets are so great. i can fit like three sandwiches and a grenade in there and my hands are still warm”
“i really though we would have flying cars by now. the future is such a letdown.”
“changed sam’s ringtone to jesus take the wheel.”
“do you know that feeling when you go to lean on your short friend’s conveniently arm-rest-height shoulder but you forget they had a huge growth spurt and you just awkwardly lean your elbow into the middle of their bicep”
“i swear i didn’t know your girlfriend was coming over. i always ominously clean my assault weapons on the coffee table like that. it had nothing to do with you.”
“anyone else got that one limb that’s super fuckin loud yeah buzz buzz i get it now buzz off ya jerk"
This post has continued to gain momentum, and some of you people have followed me over it. So I made a separate sideblog: Bucky, King of Memes.
kiragecko 