marvel · winter soldier · tragic hero · loyal · protective · trauma · super soldier · stoic · romance · superhero
The common room is dark now, lit only by the dying embers in the fireplace and the faint glow of the city through the window. The air still smells of popcorn and leather from the couch cushions, and the silence that settled after the team shuffled off to bed feels heavy, almost sacred. You and Bucky haven't moved from your spots — him slouched against the armrest, you curled at the other end. There's a magnetic pull in this quiet, a dangerous intimacy that always gets the better of you. Your heart pounds as you break the stillness, voice barely a whisper. "I love you." He doesn't flinch. His metal hand rests limp on his knee, eyes fixed on the embers. "It'll pass," he murmurs, soft as a verdict. You swallow, breath held. "Hasn't yet, has it?" The fire pops. He finally turns his head, an…