Marvel Oneshots

Letting you in (Bucky Barnes)

Bucky Barnes sat in the quiet corner of the café, nursing a cup of coffee that had long gone cold. His gaze was fixed out the window, but he wasn't really seeing the bustling street outside. Instead, his mind was lost in thought—memories of his past, fragments of nightmares, and everything in between. But lately, something else had been occupying his mind more than anything.

Y/N.

The bell above the door jingled, pulling Bucky from his thoughts. He glanced up, and there she was, a breath of fresh air walking straight toward him with that familiar smile that always seemed to ease the tension in his chest.

"Hey, stranger," Y/N greeted, sliding into the seat across from him. "I hope I'm not late."

Bucky shook his head, offering her a faint smile. "Right on time."

She glanced at his untouched coffee, then raised an eyebrow. "You planning on drinking that, or were you just staring at it for fun?"

He chuckled, pushing the cup aside. "Guess I got lost in my head."

"Hmm," Y/N hummed thoughtfully, leaning back in her chair. "You've been doing that a lot lately. You wanna talk about it?"

Bucky tensed for a second, his instinct always to shut people out, to keep his thoughts buried deep. But with Y/N, it was different. She had a way of making him feel like he didn't have to carry the weight of the world alone.

"It's nothing, really," Bucky finally said, his voice quieter now. "Just... thinking about things."

Y/N gave him a look, one that told him she wasn't buying it. "Bucky, you and I both know that when you say 'things,' you're talking about some pretty heavy stuff."

He sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. "I've just... been thinking about the past. About who I was."

Y/N leaned forward, her expression softening. "You mean, when you were the Winter Soldier?"

He flinched slightly at the name but nodded. "Yeah. It's hard to shake, you know? Sometimes, it feels like it's still a part of me."

Y/N reached across the table, placing her hand on his. The warmth of her touch grounded him in a way nothing else could. "Bucky, that's not who you are anymore. You know that, right?"

He stared down at their hands, the weight of her words settling over him. "I want to believe that. But sometimes... I wonder if it's really that simple. What if I'm always going to be haunted by what I did?"

Y/N squeezed his hand gently. "You're not defined by your past. You're defined by the choices you make now. And everything I've seen from you, Bucky, shows me that you're a good man. You've fought so hard to be free of that part of your life, and you deserve to let yourself move on."

Bucky's chest tightened at her words. She always knew what to say to pull him back from the edge, to remind him that he wasn't the monster he sometimes saw in the mirror. "It's hard to forgive myself."

Y/N's eyes softened even further, and she tilted her head, her voice gentle but firm. "Then let me help you. Let me remind you of the good you've done, the people you've saved. You don't have to carry this by yourself."

Bucky's heart clenched at her offer. He wasn't used to people caring so much, especially not for someone as broken as him. But Y/N... she had been there for him from the start, never judging, never looking at him like he was anything but Bucky—just Bucky.

"You don't have to do that," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "I don't want to drag you into my mess."

Y/N smiled, her eyes bright with determination. "I'm already in it, Bucky. And I'm not going anywhere. You've been there for me more times than I can count. Let me return the favor."

Bucky looked at her, really looked at her, and felt something shift inside him. Maybe it was the way she never wavered, or maybe it was the way she made him feel like he was worth fighting for. But in that moment, he realized just how much she meant to him.

He hadn't just been thinking about his past lately. He'd been thinking about her.

"You really don't give up, do you?" he said softly, a small smile tugging at his lips.

Y/N laughed lightly, her hand still resting on his. "Not when it comes to you."

For a long moment, they just sat there, the noise of the café fading into the background. Bucky could feel the warmth of her hand, the sincerity in her eyes, and something inside him told him that maybe—just maybe—it was okay to let someone in.

"Y/N," he began, his voice hesitant, "I don't think I've ever thanked you for... for sticking by me."

Her smile softened, and she squeezed his hand again. "You don't need to thank me, Bucky. I'm here because I want to be. Because I care about you."

Bucky's heart skipped a beat. He hadn't heard those words in a long time—not like this, not with that kind of meaning behind them. He swallowed hard, trying to find the right words.

"I care about you too," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

Y/N's eyes lit up, but she didn't push him. She just waited, letting him take his time.

"And I've been... I've been thinking about that a lot lately," Bucky continued, his nerves bubbling up as he finally let the words out. "About how much you mean to me."

Y/N's smile widened, but she remained quiet, letting him finish.

Bucky took a deep breath. "I've been through a lot, and I'm not perfect. Hell, I'm still trying to figure things out. But... I think I'm ready to let you in. If that's something you want."

Y/N's hand tightened around his, her smile soft and genuine. "Bucky, I've been waiting for you to say that."

A wave of relief washed over him, and for the first time in a long time, he felt like maybe—just maybe—he could leave the past behind. With Y/N by his side, he didn't have to face his demons alone.

"You really are something else, you know that?" Bucky said with a small smile.

Y/N laughed, leaning back in her chair. "Yeah, I get that a lot."

Bucky chuckled, feeling lighter than he had in a while. As they sat there, the weight on his shoulders didn't feel so heavy anymore. And for the first time in a long time, Bucky Barnes felt like maybe—just maybe—he deserved a little bit of happiness.