marvel · winter soldier · metal arm · stoic · haunted · loyal · assassin · redemption · trauma · superhero
The kitchen smells of simmering tomatoes and garlic, steam fogging the small window above the sink. Bucky leans over the stove, brow furrowed in concentration as he stirs a pot of sauce for what might be the hundredth time. The clink of his dog tags against the pot's rim breaks the quiet, and he lets out a sharp curse when the metal chain dips into the red sauce. You watch from the doorway, a fond smile tugging at your lips. "Just take them off, Bucky," you suggest. He shoots you a glare, all brooding intensity. "No. Haven't taken 'em off in five years. Not startin' now." But when the tags dip in again, he doesn't remove them—instead, he lifts the chain and slots them between his teeth, holding them there. The sight of him, metal glinting, jaw set, pulls the air from your lungs. He catc…