Author's Note: I'm so, so sorry that it's taken me so long to update. Somehow the first part of this chapter got deleted and I couldn't recover it from my laptop. I was just so frustrated at that point that I needed a break from the story. It wasn't until I watched Father of the Bride, which reminded me of the current dilemma Bucky has with Emma and Peter, that I felt inspired to write again. I actually was so inspired from the movie, which I hadn't seen in forever, that it's heavily referenced within this chapter.
I'd also like to mention that I've started two new fanfics which I know is kind of wrong since I haven't updated Rose Garden Dreams or Dry Bite in forever but I was just feeling inspired. The first one is called Sweet Dreams and is a Doctor Strange fanfic while the second one is called One Word From You and is a Tony Stark fanfic. I'm mainly going to be focused on One Word From You and Some Things Never Sleep right now although I do have plans to update Sweet Dreams and Dry Bite soon. I really have no clue when I'll update Rose Garden Dreams but hopefully in the foreseeable future.
Another BIG ANNOUNCEMENT for this story. After some thinking, I've decided to end Some Things Never Sleep after Part III. Don't panic or anything because I'm going to be starting a sequel immediately after this one ends. The sequel will cover the events of Thor: Ragnarok and Avengers: Infinity War but it'll take a short while to reach both storylines since I want to make a smooth transition but also give Emma some much needed time with Steve and Bucky before shit goes down. However, we still have some ground to cover right now in the story with Rumlow and Hydra so it'll still be a while before STNS ends. I'm just going to say that I might be finished by Christmas. I don't think it'll take that long but you never know. Everything I write always ends up being longer than I ever intended so Christmas might be a reasonable deadline.
This chapter is a lot of fluff but things will pick up more in the next chapter. We'll see bits and pieces of the mission, Emma using her detective skills, and maybe even some more Shuri in the next chapter. I'm so excited.
So I'll be answering the reviews from last chapter at the end of this one since there's a lot and I didn't want to make a super long Author's Note. Please note that I also don't own Father of the Bride but just have a love of all things Steve Martin.
Thank you for all the favorites, follows, and reviews. Please let me know what you think of this one. Thank you for your patience.
The waiting around part was slowly killing her. Steve and the others had only been gone for an hour but Emma was overcome with worry. She and Peter sat on the couch as they watched a movie in the recreational area but Emma wasn't really paying attention to the movie. Her thoughts were almost entirely consumed by the mission the others were currently on. Peter gave her a concerned look.
"Emma, what's wrong?" He asked her and Emma just shrugged, trying to act like she wasn't worried out of her mind.
"Nothing." She denied but Peter knew her better than that. He could tell she was worried about her grandfather and the others. She couldn't hide that from him.
"It's not nothing. I know you're worried about him. It's okay to be worried." Peter told her as his gaze softened. "I'm worried about Tony too."
"I just hate sitting here and waiting around like this." Emma admitted, feeling frustrated. "I feel so useless."
"At least you're safe." Peter pointed out and Emma scoffed.
"I feel like a coward." Emma said and Peter just shook his head.
"You're not a coward, Emma. Rumlow's looking for you and you're safer here than going on a mission." Peter told her seriously. "You're a target whether you like it or not."
"I know. I just hate not being able to do anything." Emma told him and Peter nodded in understanding.
"I know you do but they'll be back soon enough." Peter said reassuringly but Emma still felt nervous. "Hopefully they'll be able to find Rumlow and they can throw him in Raft if they don't kill him first."
"Rumlow's not going to be at the base." Emma told Peter, a darker look on her face. "He's hiding somewhere else. I know he is." Peter swallowed hard before nodding.
"Well, we'll deal with that when we get there too." Peter said comfortingly as he tried not to let himself worry too much about her. If he was worried then he knew Emma would be worried as well. "You're safe here with me."
"I don't need you to protect me." Emma grumbled and Peter rolled his eyes because she was so stubborn.
"I know you don't but just let me keep you safe for my own sake. It would make me feel better." Peter told her, looking at her with those warm brown eyes. Emma knew she was going to cave in and play damsel in distress…for the time being at least.
"Fine." Emma finally relented and he just smiled in satisfaction. The smug bastard. Either way, Emma decided to change the subject to something way less serious. If she sat there thinking about Steve for the next who knows how many hours then she'd drive herself crazy.
"So how did the talk with Steve go? He didn't scare you too much, did he?" Emma asked him and Peter just smiled before he shook his head.
"No, it went really well." Peter told her honestly as she gave him a curious look. "I mean, he was super strict with his rules but he was really nice. I think he might like me. I'm just happy that he seems to approve of me."
"I'm happy he likes you too." Emma said as she smiled at him before thinking of something else. "You know we don't have to follow those rules, right?" Peter gave her a confused look.
"What do you mean?" Peter asked her and Emma rolled her eyes.
"The rules he made about us not having sex. We can have sex whenever we want." Emma told him, sounding self-assured, and Peter's eyes widened as he blushed.
"I-I don't uh…know, Emma. He made it really clear what I could or couldn't do." Peter told her as he remembered how stern Steve looked when he laid down the law. He could see that he was now entering dangerous territory. Peter wanted to follow the rules Steve gave him so that Steve could trust and like him but on the other hand…sex with Emma. Enough said.
"Peter, he's my parent. He's supposed to say stuff like that." Emma said as she tried to make a point. "He wouldn't be doing the whole parenting thing if he didn't threaten you so you won't have sex with me."
"What? So you're saying that he secretly wants us to have sex?" Peter asked sarcastically.
"Well, of course not. I'm just saying that he's supposed to tell us not to have sex and then we're supposed to go behind his back and do it anyways." Emma replied nonchalantly as she rested her hand on his arm and looked straight at him. Peter swallowed hard as he tried not to notice the way she looked at him and touched his arm gently. He knew what she was doing. She really knew how to manipulate him when she wanted to…not that he was complaining. He was only all too eager to listen to what Emma was saying.
"Emma, he actually likes me and he even accepted me as your boyfriend. I don't want to screw that up by making him hate me." Peter said but Emma still didn't seem bothered.
"Peter, he won't hate you because he won't find out. What Steve doesn't know won't hurt him." Emma said as she continued to convince Peter that they could still take the next step in their relationship. "This is our life we're living. Not his."
"I guess you have a point." Peter finally admitted although he didn't think it would take much for Emma to convince him that they could still have sex like they talked about. Every time he and Emma were alone together he desired her that much more.
"Good." Emma said happily and Peter blushed once more as another question came to mind. It was a question that had been bothering him for a bit but he had forgotten to ask during all the recent events. They had kind of been dealing with a lot lately so it was no wonder that he had forgotten.
"So um…when do you think it will happen?" Peter asked nervously and Emma looked back at him curiously.
"When will what happen?" Emma asked him and Peter cleared his throat awkwardly.
"When we…make love for the first time." Peter said, trying to be as romantic about it as possible. Emma smiled at him because he was so cute.
"After this whole thing is over. When it's still summer." Emma told him thoughtfully. "I'm not sure how I'll get away from Steve and Papa now that they're back but I'll find an excuse."
"I don't know if I have to hide it from May." Peter said although he felt excited at the fact that him and Emma having sex wasn't so far away. Well, he was nervous too but definitely excited. "I mean, it's not like I'm going to tell her about it or anything when it happens but she kind of gave me a talk not that long ago."
"A talk?" Emma questioned in amusement as she raised an eyebrow. Peter nodded.
"You know…the normal stuff. She just said that now that I have a girlfriend she wanted me to know that I should be really careful and use protection." Peter told Emma, still feeling a bit embarrassed at the talk May gave him. "I think she already thinks we're having sex."
"I can't imagine having that same conversation with Steve or Papa." Emma said because she honestly thought her father and grandfather would have a heart attack if she tried to talk to them about condoms. It was kind of annoying that they were so overprotective. Emma was sure if she was a guy they'd probably be cheering her on or something. It demonstrated a double standard.
"Please don't have that conversation with them. If you love me and want me to live long enough to make love to you then don't talk to them about that." Peter begged jokingly and Emma laughed.
"I won't, Peter. I promise." She said as she smiled at him. Emma was glad that he could make her laugh like that despite everything that was going on. Sometimes it was like he was the only one who could make her laugh in such a serious circumstance. They finally both calmed down from their laughter as the conversation took a more serious turn. There had been a question resting on Peter's mind ever since the night before. Emma frowned when she saw the troubled look on his face.
"Emma?" He said softly.
"What is it, Peter?" She asked him in concern.
"Does your dad really hate me?" Peter asked her hesitantly. Emma sighed heavily as she remembered her father's stubborn attitude.
"My father doesn't hate you, Peter." Emma told him as her gaze softened as she looked at him. Peter with his warm brown eyes and Peter with his sweet and caring demeanor. "No one could ever hate you. You're so kind and caring. You're the nicest person I've ever met."
"Your dad doesn't seem to think so." Peter said sadly and Emma just hugged him, trying to convey to him that she didn't care what her father thought. She still loved him at the end of the day. She then pulled away from him to look into those warm brown eyes she loved so much.
"Papa's being an asshole. Don't pay any attention to him." Emma told Peter seriously. She hated it when Peter was sad and she didn't want her father's attitude getting him down. "Papa has a lot of issues he has to work through on his own…like getting his head out of his ass for example. That's an issue he really needs to work on."
"I just want him to like me." Peter told her and Emma shook her head.
"You don't need his validation, Peter." Emma tried to tell him but Peter gave her a scared look.
"Emma, I'm scared of him." He finally said to her. "He tried to kill me and in my nightmare too. He'll probably try to kill me again when I least expect it. He's so scary, Emma."
"He's not going to kill you, Peter. Don't be ridiculous." Emma told him but Peter didn't seem to believe her.
"He already tried to last night. That's how much he hates me." Peter said worriedly and Emma frowned as she remembered her father attempting to strangle Peter.
"He didn't hurt you too much, did he?" Emma asked in concern and Peter shook his head.
"Not any more than Toomes." Peter told her and she nodded but she still looked concerned. Emma just rested her head on his shoulder as she snuggled up against him. Emma slipped her hand into his and gave his hand a comforting squeeze.
"My poor little Parker." Emma said softly as she remained close to him. "Don't worry. I'll protect you from him." Despite how terrified Peter still was of her father, he kind of liked the attention he was getting from Emma.
"I don't need you to protect me." Peter told her, repeating the same phrase she told him, with a smirk on his face. Emma just playfully rolled her eyes.
"Fine…how about this?" Emma told him as she lifted her head to look back at him. "You can protect me from Hydra to satisfy your male ego while I'll protect you from Papa because I actually want to have sex with you one day and we can't do that if he kills you."
"Very funny, Emma." Peter told her before smiling sheepishly at her. "But I guess I can work with that." A mischievous look then came across Emma's face as she remembered something she had almost forgotten. She loved thinking of new ways to embarrass her boyfriend and Emma just remembered the perfect thing.
"Hey, Parker." Emma said as she smirked at him. "You know what Papa said to me last night when he was being an asshole?"
"No. What?" Peter asked hesitantly even though he was kind of scared to know the answer.
"He told me that I shouldn't let boys into my bed because it tells everyone that my legs are open for business." Emma told him and Peter's eyes widened as he felt nervous under her gaze.
"Oh…well, that's kind of sexist and not okay. Did he upset you?" Peter asked in concern and Emma just continued to smirk at him as she rested her hand against his chest. Peter felt like his heart was going to explode with how fast it was beating.
"I wanted to tell him that my legs are only open for you. No one else." Emma said flirtatiously before she kissed him chastely on the neck. Peter wondered if it was hotter in the room than it was before. He wasn't sure.
"God, you're such a flirt." Peter told her, pretending to be annoyed with her even though he wasn't. Emma laughed as she pulled away from him.
"Am I embarrassing you, Parker?" Emma asked him.
"No. It's the opposite actually." Peter told her and Emma loved the way he blushed and averted his gaze when he got all shy like that. She just loved how shy he was.
"Aw…is your winky getting all excited again?" Emma asked him teasingly and Peter glared at her as he shoved her away from him. She just laughed at him once more and despite how much she was annoying him, he was happy to see her laughing. Her laughter was so beautiful and made her seem so happy. He loved seeing her happy.
"Are you ever going to let that go?" Peter asked her, still pretending to be annoyed with her.
"Never." Emma retorted and Peter just shook his head in amusement at her as he smiled. Peter was about to respond but before he could he sensed a presence in the room. He turned to look at the doorway and flinched when he saw Emma's father standing there. He was still having flashbacks from the night before as well as from his nightmare. Peter wondered how long he had been standing there. Hopefully not long.
"What's so funny?" Bucky asked them but he wasn't looking at Emma. No, he was glaring at Peter. The smile fell off Emma's face once she noticed the way her father glared at her boyfriend. Great. She had almost forgotten about him.
"Nothing." Emma said shortly. Bucky just clenched his jaw at his daughter's answer as he walked into the room. He didn't want to leave those two alone for a second. Bucky knew that little asshole was up to no good. He could just tell. Bucky then took a seat in an armchair across from the young couple.
Emma stared at her father with an unamused look on her face while he silently stared back at her as he randomly picked up one of Darcy's Cosmopolitan magazines as if he were going to read it. She doubted her father even realized what magazine he had in his hands as he flipped through the pages, never tearing his gaze away from Emma. Peter worriedly glanced between his girlfriend and his girlfriend's dad as they seemed to be locked in some kind of intense staring contest. Peter was really freaked out by this point.
"Okay, let's go, Peter. I can't spend another moment in this room." Emma said bitterly as she got up from the couch and practically dragged Peter with her. Bucky gave them both a suspicious look.
"Where do you think you're going?" He hissed as she began to walk past him, her hand around Peter's wrist as the teenage boy tried to avoid looking at her dad.
"Away from you." Emma retorted as she glared at him. She momentarily glanced at the cover of the magazine in his hand. "Just keep reading your magazine and do tell me about the 'Perfect Sex Positions for Pegging Your Man' article when you're done. I'm sure it's very educational."
Emma then hurriedly dragged Peter out of the room with her. Peter gave her a confused look, not having a clue as to what she was talking about. His mind was far too innocent. Bucky was horrified and bewildered at what just came out of his daughter's mouth. It wasn't until she left the room that he had time to look down at the magazine he was holding in his hand. Bucky threw the magazine away from himself as he looked at it in disgust. People actually read that garbage? What moron would leave that lying around for Emma or that sex crazed boy to read?
"Hey, why'd you throw my magazine on the floor? That's rude." Darcy Lewis said as she walked into the room. She gave him an amused look and Bucky just stared back at her, blushing at having been caught with such a magazine. Back in his day that magazine would've been considered pornographic.
"I wasn't reading it…if that's what you're thinking." Bucky muttered but Darcy had already caught him.
"Whatever you say, Barnes." Darcy said teasingly. Bucky didn't know her that well but he could already tell that this woman was going to be a lot of trouble. Maybe even more so than Emma which was saying a lot.
Emma had just left Peter who was getting a quick bite to eat in the kitchen. Her boyfriend could eat a lot but not nearly as much as Emma. Emma's super soldier appetite rivaled his but she was done eating for the moment. She had a lot on her mind and she wanted some time alone to think things through. Emma had a lot of questions that she had never managed to think of until now. There were still questions that lingered from the few words Collins had said to her during the attack on the compound. The Hydra agent had more to tell. Emma knew that much. She just needed to find a way to get him to talk and Emma might've had a few ideas on how to do that.
The blonde was about to look at the surveillance footage of Collins in one of the empty conference rooms when she noticed the conference room wasn't empty, after all. She spotted Wanda in the conference room alone, staring out one of the windows, seemingly lost in her thoughts. Emma paused in the doorway, not expecting to see the woman. She wanted to quickly back out of the room but it was too late. Wanda had already noticed her.
"Sorry." Emma said carefully as Wanda looked back at her. "I didn't know anyone was in here." Wanda just shook her head as she smiled softly at her.
"That's alright. I was just leaving anyways." Wanda told her as she started to leave the room.
Emma watched her silently and it wasn't until that moment that she realized how much of an asshole she had been to Wanda. Yes, Wanda had violated her when she played those mind tricks on her but that was years ago. Not to mention Wanda was only trying to get revenge. Emma couldn't blame her for that. Wanda and her brother had lost everything in Sokovia and not to mention Wanda had lost her brother later on as well. Emma kind of felt like an asshole for being so mad at her. She felt…bad. She wished that she had treated Wanda better and she was filled with regret and guilt at not having done so. God, what was Peter doing to her? Since when did she feel bad for other people?
"Wanda, wait." Emma said as she stopped her from leaving. Wanda looked up at her in confusion.
"What is it?" Wanda questioned and Emma sighed heavily before walking up to the brunette. This was really hard for her to do. Emma didn't make a habit of apologizing to people Sure, she apologized to Peter all the time for a lot of the stupid shit she said but she loved Peter. Emma maybe liked Wanda. Maybe.
"I've been a huge bitch to you, haven't I?" Emma said bluntly, taking the Sokovian by surprise.
"What?" Wanda asked and Emma knew this was going to be a lot harder than she originally thought. Admitting you were wrong was never easy. Especially if you were Emma Rogers.
"I've been really terrible to you and I've never had an exact reasonable reason as to why. There's no excuse for the way I acted." Emma said honestly as Wanda just watched her in bewilderment.
"Emma, I don't understand." Wanda tried to tell her but Emma just shook her head.
"I wasn't fair to you. The truth was that it was never really you I was angry with." Emma told the girl honestly. "I was angry with myself over everything that happened and I was ashamed that you saw what Rumlow did."
"I should've never done that to you. You were just a child." Wanda told her, her gaze softening. "I knew better."
"You were just trying to do what you thought was right. You were angry over what happened to your parents and country." Emma told her, not even bothered by the fact that someone had referred to her as a child. Normally she'd be annoyed but not now. "Your actions were patriotic which is more than what I could ever say for myself."
"I still deserved it." Wanda tried to tell her but Emma knew that wasn't true.
"You didn't. It was wrong of me to take all my anger and bitterness out on you. You've been through a lot. We both have. I'm the one who should've known better." Emma told her which was her attempt at an apology. Emma was never exactly good at those kinds of things. "It's just that…well, what happened with Rumlow has been something that's haunted me for every day of my life. I'm more afraid of him then I'd like to admit."
"You don't need to be afraid anymore." Wanda told her softly. "Everyone's here now. We'll make sure he never gets his hands on you again."
"I'm still sorry for the way I treated you." Emma said softly and Wanda just smiled back at her.
"And I'm sorry for what I did." Wanda replied, a kind look on her face. "Can we just forgive and forget?"
"I think I can do that." Emma told her, relieved that Wanda was accepting her apology. A part of her had been worried that Wanda would refuse to hear her out. Emma wouldn't have blamed her if she walked out that door because she had acted like a real asshole.
"So does this mean we can be friends then?" Wanda asked her, happy that Emma was willing to put their troubled past behind her. Emma just smirked at the brunette.
"Not so fast, Maximoff." Emma said teasingly and Wanda was just relieved that there was no anger or malice in Emma's voice. "I don't move that quickly. Just ask Parker."
"Well, what about being friendly with each other?" Wanda suggested, smiling at the blonde. Emma just nodded.
"Sure. Why not." Emma said as she agreed with the Sokovian on something for once.
"Great." Wanda said happily and Emma was just relieved that apologizing to her had been that easy. That Wanda was kind enough to accept Emma's apology and was willing to move on from their bad past.
"So what now?" Emma asked her and Wanda shrugged.
"We can talk if you want. Catch up with each other, maybe." Wanda suggested and Emma gave her a slightly revolted look.
"Ew…why?" Emma asked her and Wanda just gave the teenage girl an amused look.
"Because that's what people do." Wanda said before giving the blonde a curious look as she decided to ask her something that had been plaguing her mind for the past day. Honestly, she wasn't the only curious one either. She knew all the others were curious about this as well. "So Peter…your boyfriend. How did that happen?"
"So…Vision. Your boyfriend." Emma retorted and Wanda blushed shyly.
"He's not my boyfriend." Wanda argued and Emma raised an eyebrow. "We're just friends."
"Really?" She questioned doubtfully. "Because everyone else knows for a fact that there's something going on between you two. Hell, I noticed the sexual tension years ago."
"I'm becoming very uncomfortable where this conversation is going, Emma." Wanda tried to tell her but Emma ignored her.
"So…how does it work?" Emma asked her abruptly. Wanda gave her a confused look, not having a clue as to what Emma was talking about.
"How does what work?" Wanda said in response and Emma smirked at her.
"His penis. How does it work?" Emma asked her, feeling both curious and mischievous about the subject.
"What?!" Wanda questioned in surprise but Emma just nonchalantly continued the conversation like they were talking about hair and make-up.
"I used to think he probably didn't have one because he's an android but then I thought about his cape." Emma said thoughtfully. "He could just conjure a cape like it was nothing so he could probably conjure up a penis like it was nothing too."
"I am so not having this conversation with you." Wanda told Emma, appalled by how casual she was about this. "This is not a conversation to have with a sixteen year old girl."
"Come on, Maximoff, I thought we were friends." Emma said as she pretended to pout before that annoying smirk returned to her face. "Can he make it any size you want? If he can then I take back all the times I called him a useless purple hobgoblin with no care for personal space."
"You're more disgusting then I remember." Wanda mumbled and Emma just laughed.
"This is what girlfriends do, right? They talk about their boyfriend's packages and share bedroom secrets." Emma told the Sokovian girl, knowing that she found just the right buttons to push to make Wanda uncomfortable. Emma's greatest skill was making people uncomfortable. "Like Peter, for example…I have yet to see his package but I have a feeling that it's definitely not small like Tony's probably is. I mean, we all know Tony's definitely compensating for something but I know for a fact that Peter's not compensating. He doesn't have to. Trust me."
"I'm going to leave now. I refuse to discuss this with you." Wanda told her as she started to leave the room. Emma only smirked as she watched her leave.
"I thought we were gal pals, Maximoff." Emma said sarcastically and this time Wanda didn't respond. She just walked out the door without looking back and Emma snickered to herself. Yeah, she definitely knew how to make the Sokovian woman uncomfortable. That's for sure.
"Now…time to get to work." Emma said as she suddenly grew more serious and took a seat at the conference table. She had her fun with Wanda and made amends as well but there was really serious matters to attend to. Especially if she wanted to get Collins to talk although Emma didn't think she would have that difficult of a time getting anything out of the man. She knew he was scared of her and for good reason. Emma just had to lean on him a little. But first she needed to grab some more intel from the interrogation videos where Steve attempted to interrogate the Hydra agent. Not that she didn't respect her grandfather's methods but Steve was a bit old fashioned. Emma, however, had interrogation tactics which were far more successful. Although…she didn't think Steve would agree with her about that. Oh, well.
Steve wasn't here right now, was he?
"What's up with you?" Darcy asked Bucky randomly as they sat in the recreational area. Darcy had taken control of the remote and switched the channel over to one that was currently playing a Steve Martin movie. The brunette woman noticed how quiet the former assassin was being as he sulked in silence. He almost reminded Darcy of Emma whenever she sulked. Their sulking face looked exactly the same which led Darcy into thinking that maybe Emma had picked up on a few things from the extremely attractive looking man. God…she still couldn't believe this guy was a dad. Technically he wasn't Emma's biological father but still.
Who knew dads could be so hot?
"Nothing." Bucky grumbled as he pretended to watch whatever film Darcy was watching but it wasn't like he was paying attention anyways. Darcy gave him a look because she honestly didn't believe him.
"Really?" She questioned doubtfully. "Because you've been glaring daggers at Steve Martin for the past half an hour and I don't think it's Steve Martin you're mad at."
"I don't even know who that is." Bucky told her and Darcy's eyes widened in surprise. Wait…was it entirely possible that someone in the universe didn't know who Steve Martin was? Well, Darcy supposed it was but in Darcy's mind it was a cruel crime against the universe to not know who Steve Martin was.
"You don't know who Steve Martin is?" Darcy questioned, trying to see if she heard him right.
"No." Bucky confirmed and Darcy just shook her head in disbelief.
"The Jerk? Three Amigos? Planes, Trains, and Automobiles?" Darcy questioned and Bucky just shook his head.
"I was kind of in Hydra for over seventy years so I didn't really have the time to watch many movies." Bucky said sarcastically and Darcy noticed that Emma must've gotten her annoying sarcasm from him too somehow.
"Well, that's no excuse. You've been out of Hydra for over three years so that's plenty of time to catch up." Darcy pointed out much to Bucky's amusement. He momentarily was able to forget about the whole ordeal with Emma and the boy.
"My sincerest apologies, ma'am." Bucky said sarcastically once more. Darcy only briefly smiled before choosing now as a time to somehow help Emma in her dilemma with her father. Despite how Darcy sought not to take life too seriously, she did care about the blonde's feelings. Darcy had come to think of the teenager as a little sister this past year. She even thought they had become quite close. Emma was definitely a difficult person to live with but Darcy loved her. Besides…it wasn't like Darcy was easy to live with either so she was glad that Emma somehow put up with her too. They seemed to put up with each other, actually.
"So you know what this movie's about?" Darcy said as carefully as possible. Bucky gave her a curious look, allowing her to distract him from thoughts about Emma and that horny little asshole.
"No. Not really." Bucky said, seeming unconcerned with the plotline for said movie. Darcy tried to be as casual as possible about this since she knew she was treading into dangerous waters with this topic. She didn't really know Bucky that well so she didn't want to overstep her boundaries or anything like that.
"Well, Steve Martin plays this dad, right? Diane Keaton plays the mom." Darcy said as she started to explain the movie to Bucky like he knew who these actors were. "The wife of Brad Paisley plays their daughter who went off to school or whatever somewhere in Europe. I don't really remember where or why but that's not what matters." Darcy briefly paused before continuing although she felt kind of nervous because she knew she had Bucky's full attention.
"Anyways…their daughter comes back home, after spending so long away, which is exciting and stuff, I guess. Like, Steve Martin is super excited because she's his little girl and everything. He has a son too but no one really cares about the son so whatever." Darcy said, rambling in the way that always annoyed Emma but only seemed to amuse Bucky. "So she comes home and everyone's super happy but then she drops the biggest bomb ever." Darcy paused dramatically as Bucky watched her intently.
"She tells everyone she's getting engaged to this random guy she met while she was in Europe." Darcy informed him and Bucky's eyes widened in surprise, finding himself completely immersed in Darcy's take on the movie they were watching. "Steve Martin completely freaks out. Because she's his little girl and everything but also because it means he has to let go which is terrifying for him."
"It doesn't help that the guy is perfect either. He comes from a really nice family, has a promising career, and he also adores Steve Martin's daughter." Darcy told Bucky and it was beginning to become clear to him that maybe she wasn't just talking about this Steve Martin guy. "I think it makes Steve Martin hate him even more."
"So what did this Steve Martin guy do then?" Bucky inquired curiously. "Did he take the guy out? Put his body in the trunk of his car and then dump him somewhere no one would ever find him?" Darcy just stared at the man in disbelief. Yeah, she definitely knew where Emma got her weirdness from. She always knew it wasn't from Steve. Steve wasn't that weird.
"No…because this film is a comedy and not a biopic about a serial killer." Darcy told him before continuing to try and make a point. "Steve Martin actually comes to realize that this guy makes his daughter really happy and he has to let go because she's a woman now."
"I know what you're trying to say." Bucky told her as he gave the brunette a suspicious look. "You're trying to say that I should just be okay with that sex crazed idiot being around my daughter. Well, that's never going to happen. Not as long as I'm around."
"Look, I heard about what you did to Peter last night. No offense but that's kind of fucked up." Darcy told him honestly. "I mean, I've heard of overprotective fathers but I've never heard of a father trying to actually murder his daughter's boyfriend. That's a new one."
"You don't know what she's been through." Bucky told her with a serious and stubborn look on his face. "There's no one that knows her better than me. Not even Steve. We've seen the same things, done the same things, and after…" Bucky trailed off as he swallowed hard, a certain thought coming to mind as he tried to bring himself to utter the very thing that had been causing him great pain ever since Emma sat him and Steve down, finally telling them everything.
"And after all the shit she's been through, I don't want to risk her ever getting hurt again." Bucky said, surprising even himself by how honest he was being with Darcy. He wasn't sure why he was being honest with her. Maybe he just hadn't had the time to explain himself very well. Between the shock of finding Emma with that boy and then arguing with Steve, Bucky barely had enough time to process his own feelings over the matter.
"Peter's not going to hurt Emma." Darcy told him, sounding very sure of herself. There was actually nothing she was more confident about. "He adores your daughter. He's hopelessly in love with her and not to mention he's totally corny. Like, buying her a huge teddy bear and box of chocolates for Valentine's Day kind of corny. It's kind of lame but very cute at the same time."
"Is there anyone that doesn't like that kid?" Bucky asked bitterly as he crossed his arms. Darcy just rolled her eyes before continuing her defense of all things Peter Parker.
"I've seen their relationship from the beginning. I've seen it since Peter was nothing but some nosy kid Emma was weirdly suspicious of." Darcy told the stubborn man. "I've seen them fall in love and all that mushy shit. They really are the mushiest couple for being superheroes and all. It's definitely not something you'd expect from the Viper Assassin and Spider-Man. Well, maybe you'd expect it from Spider-Man but definitely not the Viper Assassin."
"You can't tell me that she really loves that idiot?" Bucky said, still not believing that Emma could really be in love with that kid.
"You think she's incapable of love?" Darcy asked as she raised an eyebrow.
"That's not what I'm saying." Bucky denied. " I'm saying that I think someone must've hit Emma over the head with Steve's shield for her to even be in the same room as that kid."
"That's rude." Darcy told him. "I don't get your problem with him. Peter's a nice kid and he's completely devoted to Emma. You're actually lucky."
"Lucky?" Bucky questioned in disbelief. "I'm lucky because some teenage asshole's been dry humping my daughter for who knows how long? That makes me lucky?" Darcy stifled her laughter before she continued. Despite how hard she was trying to convince Bucky that Peter was a good kid, she was kind of enjoying the fact that Emma had an overprotective father. It was pretty ironic that the big, bad Viper Assassin had an overprotective daddy. Darcy even thought that the Avengers should have their own reality show like the Kardashians because there was so much drama going on around the compound. Especially this drama with Emma, Peter, Steve, and Bucky. People would eat that shit up. Fuck the Kardashians.
Darcy really needed to get Ryan Seacrest on the phone for a new reality show idea...like now.
"I just mean that your daughter's boyfriend could be a lot worse. You should've seen the guys I dated in high school." Darcy told him as she tried to get Bucky to see the bright side in all of this. "I dated this one stoner who used to sell porno magazines out of his locker. A real keeper right there." Bucky thought that was all she was going to say until Darcy continued listing all the boys she ever dated in high school.
"Then there was Kenny Benson who was a total ass. He slept with basically the whole school and not to mention a lot of the moms of girls he slept with. I found out only a little too late." Darcy said as Bucky watched her in horror. Not because he was horrified by Darcy but just because he was realizing that these were the kinds of boys that Emma was surrounded with in high school.
"Of course, let's not forget about Oliver Warner. He literally thought of nothing but sex and was obsessed with me." Darcy told him and Bucky found himself growing more and more scared of Emma in high school with boys like that. "I'm not even kidding. He used to show up to my house in the middle of the night when I was asleep and watch me through the window. He'd just stand there with his little video camera, eating a bunch of grapes all night as he watched me sleep. Sometimes he'd do more than just watch…if you know what I mean."
"You dated that guy?" Bucky asked her with wide eyes. Darcy just shrugged.
"He worked at Blockbuster and got free movie rentals. Why wouldn't I date him?" Darcy informed him like that explained everything. Bucky just shook his head as he tried to shrug off Darcy's disturbing response.
"Is there a point to all this? Why are you telling me this?" Bucky questioned and Darcy just smiled at him.
"I'm telling you this because I want you to know that Peter's not a bad guy." Darcy said as she sought to convince Bucky that Peter wasn't that bad. "He's a good student with amazing grades and not to mention he's a huge science nerd. You would not believe how smart this kid is. He's like a little boy genius or something."
"And I care about this why?" Bucky said with a bored look on his face and Darcy sighed but still didn't let his attitude get her down. She was more than used to that attitude with Emma so this definitely wasn't her first rodeo.
"You need to care about this because he's a good influence on Emma. He actually makes her care about school and living a normal life." Darcy told him, her gaze softening. "She never wanted to go to art school before he came along. Emma scoffed at the very idea of any sort of college but now she's making all these plans and having life goals. Why do you think that is? It's certainly not because of me."
"Is it even what she really wants?" Bucky questioned doubtfully. "It sounds to me like she's changing who she is for him."
"I don't think she's necessarily changing for him but she's changing because of him." Darcy corrected without hesitation. "I think he makes her want to be a better person. Love does that to people…or so I heard."
"I saw what he was doing with her last night. You can't tell me that he's that nice of a kid." Bucky argued.
"They're teenagers. Teenagers are famously horny so you can't blame them for trying to get off with each other. At least they weren't actually having sex." Darcy said as she dismissed Bucky's concern. The former assassin flinched at Darcy's bluntness. That was something he definitely didn't want to hear.
"If that asshole thinks he can pressure Emma into having sex with him then he has another thing coming." Bucky said in a low and dangerous voice and Darcy laughed at him. He looked at the brunette in confusion as she laughed.
"Peter's not pressuring Emma into having sex." Darcy told him and Bucky continued to look at her in confusion.
"What? How do you know" He questioned and Darcy just rolled her eyes.
"Come on, Barnes. I think we both know that Peter's definitely not the one who wears the pants in that relationship." Darcy told him, sounding confident in the fact that Emma wasn't being pressured into having sex. Bucky still didn't seem to know what Darcy was talking about so she hurried along in her explanation. "The kid practically worships the ground she walks in. Peter's also way too much of a gentlemen to ever think of doing something like that. I'm pretty sure his aunt would murder him too."
"She needs to get in line." Bucky muttered and Darcy just sighed as she tried to wrap this whole thing up.
"You're being way too hard on Peter." Darcy told Bucky seriously and Bucky looked at her in surprise.
"I'm being too hard? Me?" Bucky questioned. "He's the one who can't keep his hands off my daughter."
"Peter's not a huge asshole like most high school boys are. Peter Parker is as rare as they come." Darcy told him, completely believing every word she said. "I know for a fact that he's hopelessly in love with Emma. As far as boyfriends for your daughter go, you really can't do better than Peter Parker. He's the nicest guy around and treats your daughter like a queen. So stop trying to kill him."
"That kid's up to something. I know he is." Bucky grumbled, still being as stubborn as ever. Darcy groaned as she looked back at him but then she realized something. Maybe this wasn't about Peter. Maybe this wasn't about Peter at all. Maybe, just maybe, this was about something else entirely.
"Unless…" Darcy trailed off as she smirked at Bucky. Bucky gave her a questioning look.
"Unless what?" Bucky asked her.
"Unless this isn't about Peter and Emma dating but instead it's about Emma growing up and leaving you behind." Darcy said as she gave him a knowing look. Bucky pretended like he didn't know what she was talking about.
"I'm not sure what you mean." Bucky muttered and Darcy just continued to smile at him because she thought he was being cute. He was a former assassin, that was true, but right now he was just a dad that was afraid of losing his little girl. Who knew Bucky Barnes and Emma Rogers could be a normal father and daughter.
"That's why you're acting like a dick. You're just scared of Emma leaving you." Darcy said as she came upon this new revelation much to Bucky's embarrassment. "Barnes, you shouldn't be ashamed of feeling like that. Every dad is scared of their kids growing up and leaving."
"I'm not scared." Bucky grumbled as he glowered at Darcy in a very Emma like fashion. However, Darcy didn't believe him. Not for a second.
"I know it must be terrifying for you but Emma's not going anywhere. She's still sixteen so it'll be a while before she grows up and leaves the nest." Darcy told him, sounding self-assured. Bucky sighed heavily as he gave up the act and became serious with the brunette woman.
"I just…I only just got her back after not seeing her for a long time. Even back in Hydra I wasn't the father she needed and I had hoped that being out of Hydra would mean that…" Bucky trailed off as he found that he was at a loss for words but Darcy picked up the slack.
"That you could make up for lost time?" She suggested and Bucky just looked at her sadly before nodding.
"Yes. I thought that Steve and I could have her to ourselves for a while before things changed…before she grew up and wanted to spend time away from us." Bucky said, looking quite miserable as he did so but Darcy didn't look sympathetic. She just looked at the former assassin in disbelief.
"Do you know how stupid you're being right now?" Darcy asked him and Bucky looked at her incredulously.
"What?" He questioned and she just shook her head.
"Emma doesn't want to spend time away from you. You have no idea how much she missed you and Steve. She was miserable for the longest time." Darcy told him much to Bucky's shock. "I mean, Peter was able to make her happier. Not to mention her going to school while having a normal life also kind of made her happy but she was always incomplete."
"Really?" Bucky asked quietly and Darcy nodded.
"Yes. She missed the both of you so much." Darcy said as Bucky listened to her intently. "You could tell she missed you guys because she acted like a real asshole while you were gone. She was an asshole to literally everyone. Me, Tony, Jane, Peter, Vision, Rhodey…basically everyone."
"I didn't know she was that sad. I just thought she'd be used to me being away at this point." Bucky said sadly and Darcy really felt bad for him at that point. She could tell he loved Emma despite how much of an ass he was acting towards her and Peter.
"I don't think so, Barnes." Darcy told him, her gaze soft as she looked at the man…a very beautiful looking man but still a man. God, she really needed to sort out her priorities at this point because now wasn't the time to fawn over Emma's dad. "I think that it was just as hard for her to be away from you as it was for you to be away from her. Peter was there for her but he could never replace you and Steve."
"I just don't know what to do." Bucky said as he felt more confused than ever before. "How can I just be okay with Emma and this kid? I saw too much last night and now I don't know what to think. I'm afraid that he'll hurt her somehow."
"Look, I get that this is really difficult for you. Probably even more than Steve because you've been around her since she was a little girl. You've watched her grow up more than the rest of us have." Darcy started to say to him and she felt like she was on the verge of getting him to come around to the idea of Emma and Peter. Emma was so going to owe her for this. "But eventually you have to kind of let go and hope that you raised her right. I mean, you basically raised her to be a master assassin, one of the deadliest ones in the world, so if this kid fucks up then he's dead. You should take comfort in that."
"That actually makes me feel a little better." Bucky admitted reluctantly and Darcy grinned at him. She then grabbed the remote that was lying in between her and Bucky on the couch.
"Now I'm going to rewind this movie and let Steve Martin give you a little father-to-father heartfelt talk." Darcy told him as she started rewinding the movie until they were at the beginning. "You actually need to see this movie because you're totally Steve Martin in this scenario and you could learn a valuable lesson from this movie."
"If you say so." Bucky said, not sounding entirely convinced but his mind was soon changed as they arrived back at the beginning of the movie which showed Steve Martin staring into the camera as he gave a monologue that Bucky could relate to. In fact, Bucky never felt as emotionally connected to any movie as he did this one but he knew it was only because he understood. Bucky completely understood what this Steve Martin guy was saying. As a father he understood what Steve Martin meant.
"You fathers will understand." Steve Martin said as he continued to stare into the camera, completely capturing Bucky's attention. "You have a little girl, an adorable little girl, who looks up to you and adores you in a way you never could have imagined."
"I remember how her little hand used to fit into mine." Steve Martin said as he recollected memories that all father could relate to…even former assassin fathers like Bucky. "How she used to love to sit on my lap and lean her head against my chest."
"She said I was her hero."
"Then the day comes when she wants to get her ears pierced and wants you to drop her off a block before the movie theater." The actor said as the conversation took a more sad turn. "Next thing you know she's wearing eye shadow and high heels."
"From that moment on you're in a constant state of panic." Steve Martin said and Bucky really didn't get how this was supposed to make him feel better. He was only feeling worse at this point.
"You worry about her going out with the wrong kind of guys." The gray haired actor continued to say. "The kind of guys who only want one thing and you know exactly what that one thing is because it's the same thing you wanted when you were their age."
"Then she gets a little older and you quit worrying about her meeting the wrong guy and you worry about her meeting the right guy." Steve Martin said, laying down the truth that Bucky hadn't wanted to admit to himself until that moment.
"And that's the biggest fear of all because…" The actor only briefly paused before finishing his statement. "Then you lose her."
Darcy looked over at Bucky and was shocked to see that the scary assassin, formerly known as the Winter Soldier, actually had tears in those blue eyes of his. She supposed that this movie had a way of reaching all kinds of fathers across the world. Even ones who used to be assassins. She knew she couldn't called Bucky out on the tears and teased him but she thought it was best to approach this the same way she approached an emotional Emma. Which meant that Darcy knew better than to call Emma out on her emotions. Darcy learned that lesson from the time she teased Emma about Peter being her boyfriend. Vision had to stop Emma from murdering her so Darcy decided to just let it go this time. It was probably better if she just let Bucky have his moment.
The pair spent the rest of time watching the movie in silence, laughing at all the appropriate parts but remaining silent during all the more emotional ones too. While Darcy adored the movie because she adored all things Steve Martin, she knew she could never relate to it as much as Bucky seemed to. Bucky who watched the movie with a look of understanding on his face but also at times looking quite thoughtful too. Darcy wished that she had Wanda's ability in that moment so she could know what he was thinking.
Father of the Bride seemed to have given Bucky a lot to think about. It was kind of a silly movie but at the same time it was a movie that made Bucky rethink his previous actions. The main character, Steve Martin, was easy for Bucky to relate to. The man was as equally suspicious of his daughter's fiancee as Bucky was suspicious of his own daughter's boyfriend.
It was only through the movie that Bucky realized how ridiculous he was being but even more so because Bucky knew Emma was capable of taking care of herself. The daughter in the movie might've been a bit ditzy in Bucky's opinion but that marked a difference between the daughter in the movie and his own daughter. Bucky knew Emma was more than capable of taking care of herself and that she wasn't some helpless woman who needed saving. This begged the question of why Bucky was so worried in the first place.
"I was no longer the only man in my little girl's life. I was like an old shoe, the kind we manufacture, and get all excited for and then after a few years…discontinue." The actor's words echoed inside Bucky's head even after that particular scene was done and over. He wasn't able to forget the words throughout watching the film. "That was me now: Mr. Discontinued."
As much as Bucky hated to admit it, maybe Steve and Darcy were right. Maybe he was being selfish about this whole thing. Maybe he disliked Peter so much because Bucky was scared that Emma was going to spend all her time with Peter and forget all about him. Nothing frightened Bucky more but now he was realizing that he was being ridiculous just like Steve Martin in the movie. Not to mention Bucky wasn't going to have to completely let go. She was a teenager so that meant that there would still be a couple years before she'd officially be an adult. Bucky still had time with her.
Besides…Steve was right.
Bucky needed to put Emma's happiness ahead of his own. Even if that meant being somewhat okay with her dating that kid. He still didn't like the kid but for some reason the kid seemed to make Emma happy. Bucky supposed that maybe, just maybe, he could be okay with this if it meant Emma was happy and if it would stop her from being angry with him.
By the time the movie was over, Bucky realized that he needed to do some self-evaluating. For that to happen he was definitely going to need to spend some time alone as he got all his thoughts in order. As the credits for the movie rolled, Bucky didn't hesitant from getting up from the couch. Darcy shot him a questioning look.
"I think I need to get some fresh air." Bucky stated but that didn't help ease Darcy's confusion.
"Oh…do you want me to come with you?" She asked him and he shook his head.
"No, I think I need to be alone right now. I've got a lot of thinking to do." Bucky told her and Darcy's eyes widened in realization before she quickly nodded her head in understanding.
"Right. Of course." Darcy told him. "Think away."
"Thank you." Bucky told her as he locked eyes with her. It was clear he wasn't just thanking her for giving him some privacy either. He was thanking her for a lot more too. Darcy just swallowed hard, blushing, as she nodded.
"No problem." Darcy said, feeling a bit shy for a change. She knew it was probably a bad idea for her to feel this attracted to Bucky but it's not like she could help it. He was weirdly attractive for a former assassin but Darcy was no stranger to hot guys. The Avengers was entirely composed of hot guys...and hot women too. She had actually been trying to get Tony to agree to the Avengers doing a calendar like those really hot firefighters. Unfortunately that was a hard pass from Tony who only looked at her like she was insane. That was saying a lot too because you must've been pretty fucking weird for Tony Stark, of all people, to find you strange.
Maybe she'd try again next year.
However, Darcy didn't expect to not only be attracted to the insanely hot Bucky Barnes but also to have a real moment with him. Like, she just had a really serious, heart felt conversation with him which was a new one for Darcy because it was rare that she was ever serious. She mostly used humor as a defense mechanism…at least that's what a therapist told her when her mom and dad took her to one of those family therapy sessions when she was little. Still…Darcy didn't really believe that she was capable of giving advice yet she had seemingly given out advice to both Emma Rogers and Bucky Barnes. Two of the deadliest assassins in history. Maybe Darcy was only good at giving advice to assassins.
Maybe this was a sign that she needed to sit Natasha down for a talk too.
"I'll see you around, Lewis." Bucky said as he gave her a small smile. Darcy felt her heart skip a beat at how even more handsome he looked when he smiled. How was that even fair? This guy was already the prettiest guy she had ever seen but Darcy probably shouldn't look too hard at him. Emma had already threatened her about the Bucky thing so maybe Darcy shouldn't look now. She didn't want to end up on Emma's shitlist. It was the one thing Bucky Barnes, Peter Parker, and Tony Stark all had in common so Darcy knew that it wasn't a list anyone wanted to be on. Darcy still remembered what Emma did to Betty Brant too and who knows what would've happened to Liz Allan if the poor girl stuck around.
Rule #1: Never try to take Emma's man.
Rule #2: Never check out Bucky Barnes' ass in front of Emma.
Rule #3: Never threaten to kill Bucky Barnes(I'm looking at you, Tony).
Rule #4: Never make fun of Steve Rogers. Only Emma has the right to do that.
Darcy knew that those were some rules to live by if you ever crossed paths with the teenage anti-hero. Unfortunately Darcy had already broken at least one of the those rules. Rule #2. So that was strike one and Darcy hated to think what could happen to a person if they broke all four of those rules. Probably nothing good and probably a fate worse than Betty Brant's fate. Darcy didn't want to end up like Betty Brant. She really hated snakes.
"See you later." Darcy finally said as Bucky gave her one last smile before turning around and leaving the room. She relaxed against the couch the moment he left, processing the long conversation they had. God, that man was almost as stubborn as Emma.
Almost.
All Darcy knew was that Peter really fucking owed her because she just made him sound like an angel. She just hoped he didn't do anything to piss Bucky off because it was obvious that the kid was already walking on thin ice with the guy. It wasn't really Peter's fault but it just so happened that Peter picked a girl with the world's most overprotective, terrifying father. The Winter Soldier as your in-law was probably most people's nightmare. Darcy had to give him credit though. Most guys would run for the hills but Peter still stuck around. That had to count for something.
Darcy just hoped that things worked out between Bucky and the young couple. Lord knows that Emma already had enough shit on her plate without all the men in her life fighting over her. In other circumstances it might've been kind of hot to have Captain America, The Winter Soldier/White Wolf, Spider-Man, and Iron Man all fighting over you. Just throw in a pool full of jello and it would've been Darcy's ultimate sexual fantasy. In this circumstance, however, it was the opposite because no girl wanted her two dads, godfather, and boyfriend fighting over her. Darcy imagined this circumstance sucked for Emma.
The only thing Darcy could hope for now was that Bucky would come to the conclusion that it was better to accept Peter as Emma's boyfriend rather than have Emma be mad at him. They had been apart for far too long for their possessiveness over each other to get in the way of their happiness. Darcy knew, maybe more than anyone, that Emma really needed Steve and Bucky right now. Steve and Bucky just needed to be there for her during these difficult times. It was no secret that Emma needed her fathers and Darcy was talking about the both of them. Emma couldn't do this without them.
They just needed to get their shit together and they needed to get it together right this instant.
Author's Note: So I just came upon this realization while editing this that Emma and Wanda are a lot like April and Anne from Parks and Recreation. It just became obvious to me as I was re-reading that part. Emma and Wanda making amends was a long time coming but I'm really happy that we've gotten to that part. Now all that's left is Bucky and Clint.
Snapplecrackles: The idea for Peter's dream came from just me trying to think of what kind of dreams Peter must have. Emma tends to have a lot of nightmares and her head's a really dark place at times but I kind of imagine Peter's head to be filled with candy, unicorns, carnivals, Star Wars, and Emma. Just a lot of nice and happy things. The darkest nightmare in his head was Jason Voorhees because that's from a scary movie he probably watched as a kid so it was always there in his head subconsciously. I also thought it would be funny for him to be scared of Jason Voorhees even though he could completely take Jason Voorhees out if he wanted. I mean, Peter's probably like a million times stronger than Jason Voorhees but that's a movie he was scared of in his childhood so he's still kind of scared of it which is why he associated it with something else he's terrified of. Emma's dad.
magnoliasunset: They'd probably either have that ringtone or the imperial march ringtone. I actually used to have the imperial march ringtone for my older brother, funnily enough. Maybe Bucky could have the Friday the 13th one and Steve could have the Star Wars one. Wait...now I have to think of one for Tony. What would the ringtone for Tony be? Probably something annoying like the Full House theme song.
AH17A: I'm not going to have the Infinity War storyline until the sequel which is a decision I've recently made. Thanos isn't going to officially show up until the Infinity War storyline but there might be brief hints of his presence a little sooner than that but still not until the sequel.
JustJoyce: I'm so excited to devise a list of artists for you to listen to. Like...expect a really long list because I'm obsessed with music. Not like I sing or anything because I'm not that talented but I just love listening to music. It's really inspiring. So here my list. It'll mostly be alternative rock/pop and I might throw in some mainstream alt rock/pop artists just in case you don't know them. You might know them but I'll throw them in anyways. This list is in no particular order by the way and it's basically for anyone who wants some music recommendations.
1. Florence + the Machine- I basically love everything Florence Welch. She can do no wrong in my opinion. Don't even ask me to pick a favorite album because I love them all equally and for different reasons. Florence + The Machine is seriously underrated. It's a crime that Florence Welch hasn't won any grammys because I think she's one of the best songwriters.
2. Marina and the Diamonds- So I'm throwing in the more mainstream ones in first. I have to say that I love all Marina and the Diamonds albums but my favorite has to be her debut one 'The Family Jewels'. I just picked that one because I love every single song on it. Everyone seems to have a different opinion on that though. You'll like her if you like Indie Pop.
3. Young the Giant- Pretty much anything of theirs is really good. You can't go wrong with them.
4. The Head and the Heart- I can't really pick a favorite album of theirs because I just love all their work. You'll like them if you like folk/pop music. If you like the Lumineers you'll probably like them or the Strumbellas which are another really good band.
5. Lana Del Rey-I'm sure everyone knows how much I love her. Her music's pretty depressing, I will admit that, but it's also very real and she's just an amazing songwriter. She kind of reminds me of Jim Morrison that way. Not that I'm comparing them but they're both beautiful songwriters who write about pretty depressing topics.
6. The Wombats-I think I've mentioned them in this story before. They're another alt rock band. I think they just put out a new album out but again, I don't think you can go wrong with them so I'm not going to pick a favorite album. I imagine if you happen to like Young the Giant, you'd also like the Wombats. They also probably have my favorite name for a band. They have the best music videos too.
7. Blossoms- I feel like Blossom is more obscure than a lot of the other bands on here which is really unfair because I'm really obsessed with their new album. I will admit that I haven't listened to their earlier stuff that much but I've listened to their new album numerous times. 'Cool Like You' is one of my favorite albums of the year. They have an eighties sound to their music that I'm really in love with. I'm especially obsessed with the song 'Stranger Still'. I just can't stop listening to that one.
8. The Aces- The Aces are pretty new. They put out their debut album 'When My Heart Felt Volcanic' a couple months ago. They're not a girl band but a band that just so happens to just have female band members. Their music is more pop than rock but it's not Taylor Swift or Shawn Mendes pop. They're inspired a lot by Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson so there's definitely times where you can hear that in their music but it's also their own sound too. I actually considered that album my album of the summer. It just sounds like summer to me.
9. HAIM-I'm pretty sure it's clear how obsessed I am with HAIM. I talk about them all the time. They're my favorite band and I just can't get over them. I saw them in concert which is something I'll never stop bragging about. It's probably the only thing I really brag about. They only have two albums 'Days Are Gone' and 'Something To Tell You' although 'Days Are Gone' has to be my favorite because it's also one of my favorite albums of all time period.
10. BORNS- He's definitely indie pop. He's got two albums 'Dopamine' and 'Blue Madonna' but 'Dopamine' is my favorite. I guess the first album is always your favorite album...usually, at least.
11. Jade Bird- She's folk, Americana, and maybe a little bit old school country. Anyways...she's got the most amazing voice and not to mention she's actually a real, genuine musician. Like, she doesn't have any auto tuning or anything. Her music is real and a hundred percent genuine which I think gives her a fuller sound. She doesn't have a full album yet because she's still pretty new but she's got a couple EPs which are really good.
12. Billie Eilish- I feel like a lot of people probably know about her at this point but I'll put her on this list too. For someone so young, she's super talented.
13. Maggie Rogers- I guess I would describe her as indie pop too. I don't believe she has a full length album either but she does have an EP.
14. The Broods- I'm a big fan of their first two albums. I haven't listened to any of their new stuff yet so I'm not caught up to date with all things Broods. They're this brother-sister duo from New Zealand and I would describe their music as indie pop too. I'm realizing how much indie pop I listen to. If you like Lorde, you'll probably like them. I'm not just saying that because they're both from New Zealand but because their music is slightly similar. I also saw the Broods in concert when they opened for Ellie Goulding which was awesome.
15. Dua Lipa-I'm pretty sure everyone knows Dua Lipa but I'm still putting her in here. She's mainstream pop and I don't think there's anything wrong with that. There's still a lot of mainstream pop I listen to because I like it and it's fun. I feel like a lot of people are snobbish about music but I think I have an open mind. I don't really care for Taylor Swift anymore and I'm not into Shawn Mendes(I tried but I can't get into his music! Don't kill me! I know he has a huge fanbase!) but I still like artists like Ellie Goulding, Ed Sheeran, Sia, Maroon 5, Miley Cyrus(I know people still roll their eyes at Miley but she can really sing. Just listen to her cover of 'Summertime Sadness'), Harry Styles, and The Weeknd. Dua Lipa's a really amazing singer and I just love her debut album so much. I feel like she, along with some other artists, really got snubbed at the Grammys.
16. Sigrid-I feel like Sigrid is kind of mainstream pop too but I still think her music is kind of indie pop. She's got an amazing, almost Adele like voice, and her music's amazing. I don't think she has a full length album out yet, don't quote me on that, but she's got a lot of singles out.
17. Twin Shadow- I'm not sure how to describe Twin Shadow. He's definitely alternative but I'm not sure whether to call it alternative pop or not. On his new album 'Caer' he does this awesome song with HAIM called 'Saturdays' which is probably the only reason I ever found him in the first place because I love all things HAIM. He's seriously talented though as I've discovered when listening to all his albums.
18. Father John Misty-A lot of people apparently don't like Father John Misty for some reason but I really love him. Maybe people don't like him because he's the most modern version of a hippie that we have. I've just always been a fan of sixties era/summer of love kind of music. If you like that music you'll probably love his music too. I've been listening to his new album a lot these days and I know that I'm going to find a way to incorporate 'Just Dumb Enough to Try' into this story. I just listened to that song and pictured this really cute moment with Emma and Bucky. So hopefully everyone will be seeing that soon.
19. Fitness- They only have one album out so far but I think they're brilliant. I think they're sort of similar to Twin Shadow on a couple of their songs so if you like Twin Shadow you'll probably like Fitness too. I actually named Matter of Time after their song 'Matter of Time' because I just fell in love with the song so much and I thought it fit the story perfectly.
20. Vera Blue- Definitely alternative pop and I'm really not sure who I could compare her to. She just has this real folk sounding voice mixed with some pop music and I just think people need to give her a listen. Literally no one I know has ever heard of her but I really love her and I think she's underrated.
21. Vance Joy- This is the guy who sang 'Riptide' which is probably one of his biggest hits but I just think he has one of the greatest voices in music right now. I'm really obsessed with both of his albums.
22. Tom Odell- His music's also amazing! He's a singer-songwriter type with a beautiful voice. I think his first album is slightly better than the second one but both are really good. 'Another Love' is another favorite song of mine ever since I heard it many years ago when it first came out. It's a song that can make you cry so be forewarned.
23. Mitski- I saved the best for last.THIS IS WHERE PEOPLE PAY ATTENTION. Sorry, I just wanted to make sure people heard about Mitski because I need more people to know about her. I only discovered her a few weeks ago and I seriously wonder how I spent the past few years without her music. She's been around for a while now and I'm just disappointed in myself for only now discovering her. She's has a few albums out but my two favorites are 'Bury Me at Makeout Creek' and 'Be the Cowboy'. There's this one song she has called 'First Love/Late Spring' which I think is one of my favorite songs ever. I know it's a little soon for me to say that but you really need to hear this song. It gives me goosebumps and I love it so much that I named my Tony Stark fanfic after it because I related one of the lyrics to the story. There's also a lot of songs off "Be the Cowboy' which I'm in love with. 'Pink in the Night', 'Come into the Water', 'Why Didn't You Stop Me?', 'Old Friend', 'Remember My Name', 'Me and My Husband', 'Nobody', 'Washing Machine Heart', and I could go on forever. Basically every song of hers is a masterpiece. I'm even thinking about naming the sequel to this story after one of her songs too because I really connected the lyrics of one of her songs to Emma and Peter. A lot of people also don't like how different her new album sounds but I like that it's unlike anything I've ever heard before. Every album of hers has a different sound which I think is brilliant. Mitski is definitely one of the most talented musicians out there right now. She's an indie rocker so if you love indie rock then I think you'll really like her. Even if you don't like indie rock you might still like her.
I know that list was long and scary but that's how invested I am into music. I could go on and on about a lot of those musicians. I hope I don't sound like a crazy person for writing that much which is why I saved this for the end of the chapter and not the beginning or else you never would've read the new chapter. If you want some oldie recommendations then I give those to you too if you want. This is just some of the newer stuff I listen to.
Purplestan: I would really like to tell you what Rumlow's going to do but I don't want to pull a Mark Ruffalo or Tom Holland and spoil everything for everyone. You'll find out soon enough although not that soon.
Athena05: You'll probably find out soon enough about Clint, Natasha, and Margot. Emma and Clint are eventually going to have a talk but not in this chapter or the next one. Soon though. There's just a lot of stuff happening right now but it'll probably happen about two chapters from now.
Another random account: I haven't made any firm decisions on the living situations when school starts back up. I think I might have an idea but nothing's set in stone yet.
Bronzelove: I'm so happy to find a Florence + The Machine and Jefferson Airplane on here. I'd say that both of them are my favorite bands but I have hundreds of favorite bands.
Anna: Ha! That would be cute. I feel like Emma would be both disgusted and scared of the baby. She's already said how disgusting she thinks they are in the past but maybe Peter with a baby would change her mind. I'm not sure how to work that scenario into this one. No one really has a baby but maybe one of her cousins on her grandmother's side of the family will drop in for a visit or maybe Nathaniel Barton will drop by too.
Guest: The Rumlow storyline was always going to be resolved before Ragnarok or Infinity War storylines. I never find that overlapping is a good idea for a story so there's nothing to worry about.
Radioactive88: Yeah, Peter's definitely in for a wild ride now that he's officially Emma's boyfriend to her family. I guess everyone kind of has a crazy family and that could not be more true for Emma. Steve and Peter are probably going to get along really well in the future but Bucky and Peter not so much. They'll probably have their moments but Bucky's not going to take him fishing or other in law bonding adventures.
I also love Peter and Tony's relationship right now. They're both not on the best of terms with the others so they're kind of in the same boat. This will probably make them even closer because they're going to have to stick together now that Steve and Bucky are there.
alice. willow: I'm not sure if I'll include the venom storyline in the STNS universe but maybe I'll eventually make an AU story about it. Who knows.
artemis7448: Congrats on your training and I'm just sorry it's taken me so long to update.
Lovely One: I mean, I'm not sure if Emma and Peter are really soulmates. I know Peter said they were but that's because he's corny. I don't believe in soul mates myself but thank you and I'm glad you love Emma and Peter together so much. I do too or else I probably wouldn't be writing a story about them for this long. I hope you enjoyed the Bucky/Darcy moment in this chapter and hopefully there will be more in the future.
Cassie-011: Ever since I first started writing this story over a year ago, I always had that same scenario planned where Bucky walks in on them. That was probably one of my top five favorite chapters to write.
JaRhonda: I totally get what you mean about some stories being too slow burn. I love slow burn stories except for ones when you wait all that time and the couple only gets together in the last chapter then the end. I don't mind waiting but I'd just like to see the characters being an actual couple. Not just them getting together. I'm glad you enjoyed the story so much by the way.
knarl: I'm so happy to see a review from you. I feel like it's been a while. I definitely did the parallel thing on purpose though. It just makes sense to me why Emma and Bucky are a bit possessive over each other. They were all each other had in that base so they're very attached to each other. Glad you loved the story and I'll try to update soon although I think I might update one of my other stories before I do another update for this one.
nathan19bane: I didn't write (One-Sided) Emma/Peter. I actually wrote (One-Sided) Emma/Loki because Loki will probably be crushing on Emma pretty hard(or whatever the Asgardian/Frost Giant equivalent of that is). He'll definitely meet his match in Emma but Emma only has eyes for Peter so hence why the crush will be one-sided. It's not going to be creepy or anything. It's just this admiration he'll have for her because he's never met someone like Emma before. They're going to be good friends although they're the kind of friends who would never trust each other.
I just want to say to the guest reviewer and ShoniWake that I will be using the correct Russian and German translations you gave me to correct some of the chapter. I won't be able to do this anytime soon, however, since I don't have a ton of time but maybe when this story's over I'll go back and use your translations to correct the mistakes in previous chapters when I'm re-editing the story. Thank you for the translations.
Thanks to all the readers of this fic. You guys have been super supportive and nice during my much needed break from this fic. I'm happy you've been so patient. I'm also sorry that I didn't respond to every review but I really wanted to get this chapter out and I had five pages of reviews. I read all the reviews though and appreciated them all. I'll try to have the next update out soon.