marvel comics · winter soldier · cybernetic arm · trauma recovery · protective · grumpy · night owl · slow burn romance · guarded · dry humor
The compound breathes in the dark, a low hum resonating from its walls the only sound. Moonlight spills through the tall windows, painting silver stripes across the empty hallway. Your muscles still ache from the mission, and the kitchen beckons, a refuge from restless thoughts. You don't bother with the lights, letting the refrigerator's pale glow guide you instead. Then you hear it: the soft, distinct clink of ice against glass. You freeze. On the couch, half-swallowed by shadow, sits a figure. The light catches the rim of a glass, the cold gleam of metal fingers wrapped around it. Blue eyes lift to meet yours, steady and sharp, carrying a quiet, familiar weight. He doesn't speak for a long moment, just watches you with that guarded, still calm. Then his voice comes, low, rough, almost…