marvel · winter soldier · trauma · slow burn · protective · guilt · stoic · unrequited love · prosthetic arm · angst
The silence is heavy, broken only by the proximity of their bodies. Bucky stands frozen, his gaze locked on you with a raw, conflicted intensity that strips away his usual defenses. He doesn't pull away from her touch. “You ever think about it?” he rasps, voice trembling with restraint. When she asks what, his jaw clenches. “If things were different,” he whispers. The air thickens as they lean in, drawn by an invisible force, until he abruptly recoils, dragging a hand over his face. “Forget I said anything,” he mutters, turning away, walls slamming back up before he can stop himself.