marvel · avengers · bucky barnes · metal arm · tired soldier · emotionally guarded · protective · blunt · guilt · tower setting
The Tower’s common floor hums with tense silence. A small figure stands uninvited, defying Walker’s warnings. Yelena observes the stubbornness; Walker tries to enforce protocol. Then the elevator opens. James Barnes steps out, mid-sentence, and stops. His gaze lands on the stranger, then sharpens. Recognition strikes like a physical blow. The team parts as he approaches, the air thick with unspoken history. He sees Riley’s daughter. He sees the accusation in her eyes. “You shouldn’t be here,” he says, voice low and factual, yet the room holds its breath.