Fine Line (Bucky Barnes x OC)

Boundaries

TW: Talk of sexual and physical assault.

Bucky wrapped his other arm around Luna and pulled her away from the door, steering her back to the couch. He sat down and pulled Luna onto his lap, but she immediately scurried away from him. She had made a decision last night before falling asleep. One to keep her distance from Bucky and she intended to follow through with it no matter how much she wanted to run into his arms and stay there. Bucky looked at her, hurt evident in his eyes, but he didn't say anything.

"I think we need to set some boundaries, Barnes."

Her voice was cold and emotionless. She was shutting him out for good. They had made so much progress over the last few weeks, but now it was all being thrown out the window.

"I promised to try and be cordial with you, and that won't change, but our relationship needs to go back to how it was before. Partners, professional interactions only."

Bucky looked at her dumbfounded. That wasn't what he wanted. She was trying to move them in the complete opposite direction of where he wanted their relationship to move. Since starting the mission, he had seen sides of Luna that he never thought he would. He saw her vulnerability, her strength, her sensuality when she teased him, the way she let her walls down long enough to find comfort in his touch and melt into him. His feelings for her had changed, were changing, and now she was trying to push him away.

"What if I don't want that? What if I can't do that?" Bucky asked forcefully.

"You have to. It's for the best." Luna said firmly.

"For who?" Bucky yelled. "For you? Cause it sure as fuck isn't best for me!"

"Just admit that you hated me before this mission, Bucky. Nothing has changed. I'm still the same woman I was before. It'll be easy for you to go back to how things were."

"I never hated you, Luna! Never. I told you that. You were an annoying pain in the ass, sure, but I didn't hate you. And you're wrong, things have changed. The more I'm around you, the more I learn about you, I realize that things can't go back to the way they were!" Bucky stood from the couch and raked his hands through his hair.

"They have to, Bucky. I can't let you in. I'm sorry."

"Why the fuck not?" He hissed.

"Because if I admit that I need you, that I want you, then I have a weakness and I can't have that." Luna shot back.

"Needing people doesn't make you weak, Luna."

"Yes, it does! Every time I've put my trust in someone, they've let me down. They abused the fact that I wanted them in my life. I'm not going down that road again." Luna yelled.

"I'm not going to abuse your trust. You know me better than that!" Bucky yelled back, his face flushing with anger.

"That's the same thing Liam said before he left me for dead!" Luna screamed then clamped her hand over her mouth when she realized what she said. It was the first time she had uttered his name in years.

"Who is Liam?" Bucky's eyes were murderous. "He's the reason you were on sabbatical, right? Who is he, Luna?"

"He's no one. Just a mistake." Luna said quietly and fell back against the couch.

"Doll." Bucky's voice held a warning that chilled her to her bones. She knew Bucky would never hurt her, but it still made her wary.

"Goddamnit." She whispered out. She ran her hand down her face then shook her head. "He's my ex-fiancé. You were right when you guessed that it was someone close that assaulted me. Guess you're proud of yourself now, aren't you Barnes? You figured out my past."