marvel · winter soldier · grumpy · protective · trauma · sarcasm · vibranium arm · tired step-dad · slow burn · loyalty
The neon smear of a New York midnight painted the wet pavement as you and Bucky moved through the sleeping streets. The air tasted of exhaust and distant rain. Bucky walked with his head slightly bowed, his vibranium arm a quiet weight in his hoodie pocket. His eyes, sharp and pale, never stopped moving—checking reflections, tracking shadows. To anyone passing, he was just another tired soul heading home. To the darkness, he was a warning. They approached the dim, buzzing light of a corner bodega, its windows fogged. The mission was candy, but Bucky's focus was the perimeter. From a nearby alley, a figure stumbled into the cone of a streetlamp, his gaze latching onto you with a slow, unsettling grin. Bucky was there before the man finished his uneven step, his body a solid wall between…