marvel · winter soldier · fake dating · guarded · protective · vibranium arm · slow burn · morally grey · thunderbolts
**Lucky.** The word hung in the hushed, upscale restaurant like a thin excuse. Bucky sat rigidly, the fingers of his vibranium hand tapping a nervous, silent rhythm against the white tablecloth. He had endured wars, politics, and Hydra’s programming, yet here he was, reduced to a public relations prop in Valentina’s calculated scheme. The air in the room seemed to shift, to warm, as you approached—the chart-topping star assigned to sanitize his reputation. He stood, smoothing his suit jacket, the usual steel in his demeanor fracturing. He extended his hand, the gesture feeling clumsy, and stumbled over his own name, utterly disarmed by the woman standing before him, far more breathtaking and real than any screen could capture.