Bucky has always believed in restraint.
Restraint kept him from spiraling.
Restraint kept him from needing too much.
Restraint kept him from ruining good things with hands that once broke everything they touched.
So when he realizes he hasn't held back once all day—
It unsettles him.
Not in a bad way.
In a permanent one.
-
It starts in the kitchen.
Melany is reaching up for a mug, stretching just enough that her shirt lifts slightly at her waist.
He notices. Of course he notices. He's always noticed.
But today he doesn't swallow it down.
He steps in behind her. His hand settles at her hip.
Not testing.
Not careful.
Claiming.
The warmth of her through the fabric of her shirt makes something in his chest quiet.
There.
There you are.
She glances back at him, soft smile forming. "Hi."
His thumb presses slightly into her waist like he needs to confirm solidity.
"Hi."
He leans down and presses his mouth against her temple. Slow. Firm. Intentional.
Not a passing kiss.
A grounding one.
She relaxes back into him automatically, trusting the weight of him.
He feels that trust like a physical thing. It terrifies him. It steadies him.
"You okay?" she asks gently.
He almost says yes automatically.
Instead he answers honestly.
"Yeah," he murmurs. "Just... here."
Here. In this moment. In this life. With you.
She doesn't ask for more explanation. She doesn't need it.
That trust again.
He steps away eventually, but the imprint of her warmth stays in his palm long after.
Across the room, Wanda watches.
She doesn't reach into his mind.
She doesn't need to.
The emotional current around him has shifted.
It hums with decision.
-
Melany notices too.
Not the reason.
Just the change.
In the hallway later, he catches her wrist lightly and pulls her back a step. She laughs softly, thinking he's teasing.
He doesn't tease.
He kisses her forehead instead.
Longer than necessary.
Her brows knit faintly.
He never used to do that without a joke.
"You're being weird," she murmurs.
"I know."
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...
