Bucky doesn't sleep much.
Not because he can't.
Because he doesn't want to lose it.
The room is still wrapped in pre-dawn blue, shadows soft and indistinct, the world not fully formed yet. The city hum is distant—muted like it's holding its breath.
He lies on his back, staring at the ceiling.
Replaying.
Not obsessing.
Just... holding it in place.
The rooftop.
The exact angle of her shoulders against the skyline.
The way the wind moved through her hair like it belonged there.
The way her voice softened when she said steady.
He can still feel the ground beneath his knee.
That part lingers.
Not the almost.
The certainty.
He was ready.
That matters.
He turns his head slightly.
Melany is curled into his side, her hand loosely gripping his shirt like she anchored herself there without thinking. Her breathing is slow, even—completely unguarded.
Trust.
It settles heavy in his chest.
She trusts him.
Completely.
And for the first time, he didn't question whether he could carry something permanent.
He brushes his thumb lightly along her side beneath the blanket.
Grounding.
Soon.
The word comes again.
Not sharp.
Not urgent.
Certain.
-
The kitchen is already alive with quiet movement.
Coffee brewing.
Cabinets opening.
The low hum of something normal.
Sam is pacing.
Actually pacing.
Steve leans against the counter, arms folded, watching him with a kind of calm patience that suggests this has been happening for a while.
The moment Bucky steps in—
They both look up.
Sam doesn't even pretend to ease into it.
"Well?"
Bucky moves past him, reaching for a mug like it's any other morning.
It isn't.
Steve's gaze is quieter.
But heavier.
"Did you ask?" Sam presses.
Bucky pours the coffee slowly, the sound filling the space just long enough to delay the answer.
"No."
It drops flat.
Sam blinks.
Steve straightens slightly.
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...
