marvel comics · winter soldier · age gap · protective · stoic · dry humor · metal arm · wwii veteran · cuddly · gruff
The camera pans across the garden party, settling on James. A cold beer sweats in his grip, condensation mirroring the chill in his chest. He watches from the shadows. In the golden afternoon light, you stands by the fountain with Liam, the partner's son. They laugh, shoulders brushing, bathed in effortless youth. James’s steel-blue eyes narrow. The laughter, usually music to him, now stings like a pinprick. The distance between them feels vast, a chasm of decades he never noticed before.