The shift is impossible to miss.
It starts small.
A hand at the small of her back.
Then a kiss pressed to her temple in the middle of the kitchen.
Then Bucky not even pretending to let go of her hand during team briefings.
Two weeks ago, affection had been private. Quiet. Reserved for closed doors and soft light.
Now?
Now he touches her like he's not afraid of anyone seeing.
Melany notices first.
Not because he's subtle — he isn't — but because it feels intentional.
She's leaning against the counter in the compound kitchen when he comes up behind her. No hesitation. No scanning the room.
His metal hand settles at her waist. His chin rests briefly on her shoulder.
"You steal my coffee?" he murmurs low enough for only her to hear.
She smiles. "You mean the coffee I made?"
His arm tightens slightly around her middle. Not possessive.
Protective. Anchored.
"Fair."
Across the room, Sam slowly lowers his mug.
"Oh, we're not even pretending anymore," he says.
Melany flushes.
Bucky doesn't move his hand.
"What?" he asks flatly.
Sam gestures vaguely between them. "You're glowing, man. It's weird."
From the barstool, Natasha doesn't even look up from her tablet.
"It's not weird," she says calmly. "It's progress."
Melany glances back at Bucky.
He's already looking at her.
Not scanning.
Not calculating.
Just looking.
Like she's the only thing in the room.
That's new.
-
Later that day in the gym, she's stretching on the mat when he drops down beside her.
Not across the room. Not nearby. Beside her.
His knee brushes hers.
When she reaches forward, he steadies her by the hip without thinking.
Her breath catches.
He doesn't pull away.
From the punching bag, Steve Rogers pauses mid-swing.
He watches for a second.
Not bitter.
Just observing.
Bucky notices.
He doesn't flinch.
He doesn't move.
Instead, he leans down and presses a quiet kiss to Melany's shoulder.
In public.
Her head snaps toward him slightly.
His expression doesn't change.
"You good?" he asks.
She nods.
YOU ARE READING
Doll. // Bucky Barnes X OC
FanfictionMelany Banner has spent her entire life being watched, protected, and managed - all because of who her father is. When a classified S.H.I.E.L.D. protocol forces her into close quarters with James Buchanan Barnes, she expects another soldier followin...
