The Winter Solider Imagine - Blog Posts

[ FLOWER SHOP OF NEW FEELINGS MASTERLIST ]

started : 04 / 21 / 2025

ended : n/a , ongoing

|| pairing : james "bucky" barnes x florist!reader

summary : When Clint's birthday comes sooner than Bucky realized, Steve forced him to go buy some gift for Hawkeye. Figuring that flowers were an easy enough gift, he takes a visit to the flower on the corner of the street.. There, he meets a cute florist, someone who seemed to melt his cold heart. How will Bucky navigate this modern world romance? Will he allow himself to fall in love? If so.. How will he keep this from the team? And how will you navigate a friendship - let alone romance - with one of the most closed off Avengers?

[ 01 : the cute florist ]

[ 02 : get a grip ]

[ 03 : distractions ]

[ 04 : unlucky ]

[ 05 : run ]

[ 06 : bad feeling ]

who wants a marvel

ship??

rules!

- it can be anonymous or not, your choice

- send your gender(?), sexual preference, height, appearance and traits you possess! hobbies and things you enjoy!

easy peasy :)

i’ll tell you who i ship you with out of the marvel bunch!

tags:

nobody:

winter soldier fanfic writers describing the winter soldier: 🎶ra-ra-rasputin Russia’s greatest love machine 🎶

Hey! :)) You're very talented! So I dare to send in a Bucky imagine <3 Maybe one where you're dating but you're not an avenger, so you sometimes feel not good at all for him even though he always makes you feel special and he loves you more than anything. one time he comes from a mission to you waiting in his room, doubting again but he immediately tries getting this thought out of you and gives you his dog tags to prove he's yours forever and it's all cute then and also soft smut? :)

a/n: thank you my love!! <3 omg the dog tags, this is amazing. this one is probably one of my favorite things i’ve written so far, I took it and kinda ran with it lol. but i certainly hope you enjoy it, i can also always rewrite it with any gender you want!!

———————————————————————————

It was always hard when Bucky was on missions, he’d go away for god knows how long. Sometimes a few days, sometimes a few months, it was extremely hard on your relationship at first, having him in your arms one minute and then gone the next.

Even since you started dating he had tried to keep you as far as possible from the life he knew as an Avenger. Now there was nothing wrong with being an Avenger but it was dangerous, and as long as Bucky was alive he’d do anything to protect you. You were the one thing in his life that wasn’t tainted by his past, and he wanted to keep it that way.

At first you didn’t understand why Bucky didn’t tell you more about where he went or what he did, whether it was a recent mission or something that happened in his Winter Soldier days. It made you feel bad to feel like it, but you had started to think that he thought that you couldn’t handle it.

That sweet innocent little y/n couldn’t handle the burden of knowing the horrible things that his other persona had done. Now you knew who Bucky really was and you knew that all of these thoughts were irrational, but sometimes it made you feel like you couldn’t truly be there for him.

It slowly started to make you feel helpless, the nights where Bucky woke up screaming from a dreadful nightmare and all you could do was just hold him and tell him it would be okay, not really knowing what you were comforting him from.

It’s not like Bucky neglected you in the slightest, in fact that beautiful man showed you that he loved you in some way just about every single day, if not more. If it was bringing you flowers, asking how your day was, holding you for hours, or even just plain telling you.

Bucky had left about two weeks ago on a mission with the rest of the Avengers, you of course stayed behind. It had been a long two weeks and you missed Bucky something terrible, so you left your quiet apartment and went and stayed at the tower for a little while.

The last night before Bucky was supposed to be back you laid in Buckys bed, tossing and turning, doubts flowing freely in your mind. What if Bucky was pulling away from you? What if he was realizing that you’re not good enough for him?

Because of all the thoughts swirling in your head as you sat up, you didn’t even hear the heavy footsteps outside your bedroom door, not even the door opening and the tired super soldier trudging in. Bucky stopped at the sight of your shrugged over shoulders “doll?” He called out

You jumped at the sudden voice and turned around a tired smile spreading across your face “Bucky!” You walked into his embrace, sighing as you took in his smell. Even after a grueling mission he still smelled good.

Bucky noticed something was wrong by the way you carried yourself across the room, he pulled back and lifted your head up gently by your chin. “Is something wrong y/n? Are you okay?” You let out a small chuckle “I should be asking you that”

You pulled away and sat on the bed, Bucky following you “You mean because of the last mission?” He had a feeling he knew what was bothering you, he just wanted to hear you say it. “Among other things” you whispered looking down at his hands in your lap

“I just” you continued “I feel so helpless all the time, I feel like I’m not doing enough for you, you know? Every time you wake up from a nightmare, every time you come home with bruises and cuts and all I can do is just clean you up and blindly tell you that it’s gonna be okay” you sighed. “Sometimes I feel like I’M not good enough, for you.”

You finally looked up at Bucky, his eyebrows furrowed in concern. At your statement, his face softened “Oh babydoll, I’m sorry I let you down” he pulled you into his neck, wrapping his arms around your waist. “You mean more to me than you’ll ever know. I can’t even put into words how much you’ve changed my life” he pressed a kiss to your forehead.

He pulled away slightly to look at your face. “The reason why I don't talk about” he looked down. “The things that I’ve done is because I don’t want you to think any differently of me. I want him to be long gone and I don’t want him to ever come back, and I’m just not ready to admit that there’s a possibility that he’s still there okay?” He kissed your temple “it’s got nothing to do with you doll”

“Here, I want to give you something.” He reached into his pocket and you heard something that sounded like metal clinking together. He pulled his hand out and into your view

“These are my dog tags, you know from the war. I keep them because, well they help me remember who I used to be. Who I really am, they remind me that I’m more than what all those years with Them made me into.” You gingerly reached down and touched them

James B. Barnes

32557038 T42 A

He took them and pulled it over your head, the metal resting just above your chest. “I want you to have them” he said “Oh Bucky, I can’t take these away from you” Bucky gave you a soft smile “You can and you will, I want you to have these, that way I’m with you all the time. Now any time you miss me, you can know that i’m right here” he placed a finger on the dog tag over your heart

“Always. Because I’m always going to be here for you, no matter what honey” He titled your head up, eyes meeting yours. “Because I love you.” You blinked away the tears welling up in your eyes “I love you too James, thank you” He leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss onto your lips.

You wound a hand in his hair tugging him closer and he placed a hand on your thigh, rubbing circles on the skin there. “Bucky” you whispered against his lips. He slowly laid you back on the bed, shifting to lay in between your legs. “I know doll, just let me show you how much I love you okay?” He trailed down to your neck “I’m not going anywhere”

Bucky sat up, trailing his hands down your sides. He reached your sleep shorts and hooked his fingers in the band. He pushed your shirt up a little bit and placed kisses on your waistline before pulling them down your legs.

Bucky worked on your underwear next, he placed gentle kisses on your thighs before placing one right over your clothed clit. You could feel his eyes on you, watching your reaction as he pulled those down too. He kissed his way back up your torso and pressed a soft kiss to your lips “You’re so beautiful doll, so so beautiful” he whispered in your ear.

Your hands gripped Buckys as he pulled off your shirt. His hands cupped your breasts through your bra, as he placed a kiss on the top of both of them.”Gorgeous” you heard faintly. You felt the roughness of his hands on your skin before his hands worked to unclip your bra.

The brunette made his way back down your body, his thumb immediately swiping your clit, you grabbed onto his shoulders as he leaned down to replace his finger with his tongue. Bucky lapped at your clit and slowly worked a finger inside of you. “Taste so good doll, my favorite thing in the world” he mumbled

Bucky could feel you getting closer so he sped up his movements. “Wait” you panted and he stopped completely “what’s wrong y/n? “Just wanna feel you already, can’t wait anymore” He smiled and kissed your hip bone before crawling back up your body

“Anything for the lady” Bucky used his right hand to spread your other leg out for him more, settling in between your thighs as he kissed you. It was the kind of kiss that left you breathless, and most certainly wanting more. “Ready for me baby?” He pressed a kiss to the collum of your throat. “Always, Buck”

Bucky's arms caged you between him and the bed as he slowly slipped inside of your wet pussy. Both of you letting out groans of pleasure at the feeling of Bucky filling you up. After a minute and Bucky whispering to you how good you felt around him, he started to move.

The only sounds in the room were the sounds of your pants and moans of each other’s names as Bucky fell to his forearms, trying to get as close to you as possible. His eyes caught a glimpse of his dog tags resting over your breasts and it stirred something inside of him.

Both your hands tangled in Buckys hair as he went faster, somehow working himself deeper than he already was. “ God I love you so much doll, you look so pretty wearing my name around your neck” he panted into your ear as he pressed a kiss on your neck.

One of your hands fell to Bucky's side pulling him closer “Buck” you moaned “I’m gonna cum” you squeezed your eyes shut as he grunted “me too doll, cum with me” Bucky worked you higher and higher until you finally orgasmed around him, an airy “I love you” whispered into his ear.

Bucky wrapped an arm around you tightly as he came inside of you, praises and grunts falling from his lips and his hips slowed as he milked you both through the high.You both stayed like that for a while, neither one of you wanting to move as you threaded your hands through Bucky's now damp hair.

“I know I’ve got to be more open with you, you’re the most important thing in my life and I don’t want anything to ruin that” the man laying on your chest suddenly spoke. He squeezed his arm around you pulling you closer together.

“I know Buck, i’m sorry. I just wanna make sure you’re okay you know?”

“Don’t be sorry” he leaned up and gave you a sweet kiss “As long as i’m with you, I’m gonna be just fine” he laid his head back down on your chest “Plus we got one hell of a night out of it” he smirked

“Ow!”

“Idiot”

Take it

pairings: bucky barnes x reader

warnings: sexual content 18+, choking kink, breeding kink, explicit language, dom!bucky, daddy kink, a dash of degrading

a/n: honestly kinda love this one, breeding kink bucky is my fav. also the gif is kinda unrelated to the setting, i just love 40’s bucky (this also literally started out as a savitar barry allen imagine lol)

(NOT MY GIF)

“fuck that’s it doll, take it” he grunted as he pounded into your cunt, your hands very tightly intertwined as he made the bed squeak with his thrusts. You moaned at his words, another wave of arousal washed over you “oh fuck, Bucky make me cum, please” You begged already getting close.

He tapped your swollen lips with his thumb “suck” he said. You took his thumb into your mouth, closing your lips around the digit and swirling your tongue. He grunted loudly “that’s a good little girl, doll”

“Just for you James” you moaned out, he gave a particularly hard thrust and you moaned and gasped as you came around him. Bucky leaned down slightly and wrapped his hand around your throat “yeah, you liked that didn’t you Princess?”

You whined in response “oh god yes, harder buck” Bucky squeezed your throat a little bit tighter and did just what you asked. His hand went behind your head and his head fell into your marked up neck, as he thrusted faster and faster grunting into your ear.

“You want me to cum inside that sweet pussy, doll, hmm?” He asked, breath fanning your face. You looked up at him through half lidded eyes and nodded. A smirk spread across his face “then you gotta cum one more time for me”

Bucky dropped his hand between your bodies, his thumb started rubbing circles on your now very sensitive clit “Fuck, James” you gasped “that’s it baby, tell me how good it feels” he grunted in your ear.

“So good, daddy” his hips stuttered at the name you just moaned out. “What did you say?” He rasped “say it again” you moaned again, too wrapped up in pleasure to answer him. Bucky gripped your hair tightly “i said, say it again, y/n” “Daddy” you groaned.

“There you go, such a good slut for daddy aren’t you?” You gasped at the new name given and felt yourself get all that much closer to your second orgasm. “You gonna cum again baby? Aw go ahead slut, cum for me”

He moved his hips faster, bringing you closer and closer before you let out what felt like the most pornographic moan you had ever let slip and came all over Bucky’s cock.

“Fuck” Bucky groaned, as he helped you through your orgasm he chased his own. You could feel his cock twitching as he got closer. Your hands gripped his shoulders and pulled him closer to you “c’mon daddy, fill me up. I know you can, please i want it” you pleaded in his ear. “Goddamn” he whispered

“Wanna get you pregnant” the brunette grunted, his hand bunched up your hair and tugged as he came inside of your swollen cunt “Fuck, y/n ” he chuckled “oh so so good baby” he laid on top of you for a bit catching his breath, before he flopped on the bed beside you.

He pulled you into his now slightly sweaty chest and gave you a sweet kiss “that was amazing, thank you doll”

“Did you mean it?” He titled his head down to look at you “mean what sweetheart?” You tilted your head up “that you wanna get me pregnant”

“Absolutely I did, I think you’d look beautiful pregnant with our kid” he smiled as you blushed at his statement. “I’d love to have a family with you” you leaned up and kissed him softly.

“Also we should definitely keep the new names in. You know, for research purposes”

He let out an adorable chuckle

“Anndd moments gone

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x fem!reader

---

Y/N sat on the rooftop, knees drawn up to her chest, a thick hoodie wrapped around her. The stars were faint, blurred by the city lights in the distance, but still visible if you looked hard enough. She liked it here—above everything, where the air was just a little colder and a little clearer. Where she could breathe.

She didn’t expect to hear footsteps. But she knew whose they were and her heart began to beat faster, her cheeks turning a slight shade of pink. 

“I figured I’d find you up here,” Bucky said, his voice low, carrying just enough to reach her without shattering the quiet.

She didn’t turn around right away. “Can’t sleep either?”

He chuckled, sitting beside her. “Do I ever?”

She glanced at him. He was in a black Henley, sleeves pushed up, metal arm glinting faintly under the moonlight. He looked tired—but softer. Like maybe he found a kind of peace in the stillness too.

“I like the quiet,” she said after a while. “When everything slows down.”

“Yeah.” His gaze followed hers, out toward the faint skyline. “Me too. It's easier to think.”

“To feel?” she asked, careful with the question.

Bucky looked at her then. Really looked. “Yeah,” he said, quieter. “That too.”

Silence settled again, but it wasn’t empty. It was warm. Safe.

“You don’t have to talk,” Y/N said, resting her head on her knees. “Not if it hurts. But if you ever do... I’ll be here.”

A breath left him—soft, like it took weight with it. Then, after a beat, he reached out and wrapped his metal hand gently around hers.

It was cool, careful, but steady.

“I know,” he said. “That’s why I’m here.”

“The news?” Y/N questioned. 

“Yea…I just can’t believe that Sam would give up Steve’s shield like that.”

Y/N was quiet for a moment. “Do you think maybe he’s just not ready?”

Bucky didn’t say anything, just continued to stare ahead. “I just- it makes me think that if Steve was wrong about Sam then maybe he was wrong about me.” 

Y/N turned her body towards Bucky. She reached out and grabbed ahold of his hand-the flesh one- and squeezed it. “Please don’t say that. I didn’t know Steve and don’t know Sam but I’m sure Steve knew what he was doing when he gave Sam that shield. He also was not wrong about you, Bucky. I’ve known you for a few months and you’ve been nothing but kind to me. I mean sure maybe you can be a little grumpy but you’ve never made me feel threatened or uncomfortable.” 

Bucky looked at Y/N. “Grumpy?”

Y/N chuckled and gave him a playful smack on his arm. “Only a little and only sometimes.” 

Bucky’s hand brushed gently against Y/N’s, the faintest touch sparking something quiet and familiar between them. Neither moved away. Instead, their hands lingered, fingertips grazing in a silent understanding—an unspoken comfort that had settled between them like second nature.

----

The last of the customers trickled out of the bar, their laughter fading into the night as the door clicked shut behind them. Y/N made her way to the front, fingers brushing against the slightly smudged glass as she flipped the sign to Closed, the quiet of the empty room settling around her like a soft exhale. It had been a long shift—steady, a little chaotic at times—but now all that remained was the comforting rhythm of cleanup before she could head home, curl up on the couch, lose herself in a feel-good movie, and dig into some well-earned takeout.

But just as she turned to grab a rag from behind the bar, the front door creaked open again. The bell gave a soft chime as it swung closed, and Y/N instinctively pivoted, ready to let the late straggler know they were done for the night.

The words caught in her throat.

A slow, surprised smile bloomed across her face when she saw who stood in the doorway.

Bucky stood just inside the doorway, his frame slightly hunched like he wasn’t sure he should be there, hands buried deep in the pockets of his hoodie. There was something uncertain in his eyes, the kind of vulnerability that made Y/N’s heart squeeze just a little.

“Hey,” she greeted softly, drying her hands on a towel. “How did you know where I worked?”

He gave a small shrug, the corners of his mouth twitching into something that almost resembled a smirk. “I have my ways.”

That earned a quiet laugh from her, but the silence that followed wasn’t awkward—it was weighted, familiar. He made his way over to the bar, pulled out a stool, and sat down with a quiet sigh, resting his arms on the counter. His fingers traced absent patterns on the worn wood, eyes downcast.

Y/N turned back to her cleaning, though her movements had slowed. She kept stealing glances at him, watching the way he sat so still, like he was trying to sort through a storm in his head. She wanted to ask if he was okay, the words right on the edge of her lips. But instead, she waited—giving him space, hoping he’d let her in on his own terms.

“I know that look,” Y/N said gently, glancing over at him as she wiped down the last bit of the counter. “Something’s bothering you. I can tell.”

Bucky shook his head almost too quickly, eyes darting away. “Nope. Nothing’s wrong.”

She didn’t push, just gave him a quiet, knowing look. “Alright. I’m almost done here, then we can head out.”

He gave a small nod, the kind that said he was grateful she wasn’t pressing him. Y/N tucked the last few bottles back into place, the clinking of glass the only sound between them. Then she bent to grab her bag from beneath the bar, slinging it over her shoulder with a tired but content sigh.

As they stepped outside, the night air wrapped around them—cool, crisp, and a little biting. She grinned, nudging him playfully. “So… did you really come all the way down here just to walk me home from work?”

Bucky’s lips twitched with a trace of a smile. “Maybe.”

A chill danced up her spine, and she shivered without meaning to. Bucky noticed immediately. Without a word, he tugged off his hoodie and held it out to her. She blinked in surprise, hesitated for a second, then took it. As she pulled it on, the sleeves hanging long over her hands, she caught the scent of him—clean soap, leather, and something warm that was just him. It made her chest ache in the sweetest way.

“I was thinking we could grab something to eat,” he said casually, running a hand through his hair like he was trying to play it cool. “Or… whatever you want.”

She looked up at him, eyes soft. “I was planning on takeout and a movie.”

He tilted his head. “Unless that sounds boring to you,” she added quickly.

His smile came easy this time—gentle, genuine, the kind that lit up his whole face. “That sounds perfect.”

-------

Y/N led the way down the quiet street to her favorite little pizza place, the one she always ended up craving after a long shift. The familiar scent of garlic and melted cheese hit her the second they stepped inside, instantly lifting her mood. She placed an order for her go-to pizza, the one she could eat a thousand times and never get tired of.

“Are you sure you don’t want your own?” she asked, glancing up at Bucky with a raised brow.

He just shook his head with a faint smile. “I’m good. I’ll have whatever you’re having.”

When the total popped up on the register, Y/N instinctively reached for her wallet—but Bucky was quicker. He slid his card across the counter without missing a beat.

“Hey—come on, I’ve got this,” she protested, nudging his arm.

He just gave her a look. Steady. “Next time.”

With the warm box of pizza in hand, Bucky carried it like it was something precious as they walked the short distance to their apartment building. Inside the elevator, the hum of machinery filled the space as he hit the button for her floor. The moment was quiet, but not awkward—just a soft kind of stillness that felt easy between them.

Once inside her apartment, Y/N headed to the kitchen, pulling out two mismatched plates from the cabinet and handing one to Bucky.

“I’ll be right back,” she said with a smile, before slipping down the hallway to her bedroom.

She changed quickly, trading her work clothes for a pair of well-worn leggings and her favorite oversized t-shirt. After a moment’s pause, she grabbed Bucky’s hoodie from where she’d left it earlier and slipped it back on—it still smelled like him, and the extra weight of it around her shoulders was oddly comforting.

When she padded back into the living room, Bucky was already seated on the couch, the pizza box resting on the coffee table in front of him. He sat back with his arms crossed, muscles stretching beneath the tight fabric of his t-shirt in a way that made Y/N pause in the doorway a second longer than she meant to.

She shook herself out of it and moved to the couch, settling a safe-but-not-too-far distance from him.

Grabbing the remote, she pulled up her favorite comfort show—one she’d seen a hundred times but never got tired of—and hit play. She reached for a slice, the warmth of the food matching the growing ease between them.

Bucky grabbed a piece too, and for a while, they sat side by side, the glow of the TV flickering across their faces, saying nothing at all.

But the silence was anything but empty—it was filled with the kind of quiet comfort that only comes from being with someone who feels like home.

As the night wore on and a few more episodes passed, Y/N realized—somehow, without even noticing when it happened—that she was sitting much closer to Bucky than she had been at the start. The gap between them had gradually disappeared, replaced by the easy lean of shared warmth. She knew he usually shied away from touch—but he hadn’t moved. He hadn’t flinched or pulled back. If anything, he seemed… settled.

The credits of the latest episode began to roll, the soft background music filling the quiet room.

“Thank you,” Bucky said, his voice low and almost hesitant.

Y/N turned her head to look at him, her brows drawn together gently. “For what?”

He gave a small shrug, blue eyes fixed on the screen like he couldn’t quite meet her gaze. “For letting me crash your night. I didn’t mean to interrupt anything.”

“You didn’t,” she said softly, her lips lifting into a smile. “I like hanging out with you, Bucky.”

And before she could overthink it, she reached down and slid her hand into his—his flesh one—her fingers curling gently around his. She gave a soft squeeze, grounding and sincere.

“You’re always welcome here,” she said. “Even if you don’t want to talk. We can just sit. Be. I’m okay with that.”

For a beat, he didn’t say anything. Then she felt his hand tighten around hers, not possessively, just… steady. Reassuring. And he didn’t let go.

The next episode began to play, the familiar theme music rising again, but neither of them really paid attention. They stayed just like that, fingers laced together, hearts quietly aligned in the shared silence—trying, and failing, to focus on the screen when all they could really feel was the presence of the other.

---

Y/N stirred slowly, her eyes fluttering open as the early morning light filtered softly through the curtains. For a moment, she blinked against the haze of sleep, her brain sluggishly trying to piece together where she was. The couch. Her living room. The remnants of the night before flickered back into focus like a warm dream.

What she hadn’t expected was the weight wrapped around her—the steady rise and fall of a chest beneath her cheek, the warmth of two strong arms encircling her.

Bucky.

Her head rested against his chest, where his heartbeat thudded in a calm, even rhythm. His breath was slow and steady, lips slightly parted in sleep, completely at peace in a way she rarely got to see. And somehow, over the course of the night, they’d both melted into one another, tangled up on her small couch like it was the most natural thing in the world.

She should’ve been surprised. But she wasn’t. Not really.

Y/N shifted slightly, her body stiff from sleeping in one position for too long. Carefully, she reached out, fingers brushing against his arm as she tried to slip out of his hold without waking him.

But before she could move more than an inch, Bucky’s arm tightened around her waist—gentle but firm. His other hand came up sleepily to rest at the small of her back, and without opening his eyes, he pulled her right back against him with a quiet, content sigh.

Y/N froze for a heartbeat, caught between amusement and something far softer, deeper. Her lips curled into a sleepy smile as she relaxed into him again, letting her eyes drift closed once more.

If this was how mornings with Bucky felt—quiet, safe, wrapped in warmth—she wouldn’t mind waking up like this a lot more often.

“Don’t move. I’m comfortable,” he murmured, his voice low and gravelly. 

Y/N let herself relax against him again, her cheek resting against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. The world outside didn’t exist—not the mission reports, not the news, not the ghosts that sometimes lingered in both their silences.

Just the two of them.

She felt Bucky shift slightly, just enough to rest his chin lightly on the top of her head. His hand—flesh and warm—brushed slow, absentminded strokes along her arm. It sent a tingle down her spine that had nothing to do with the cold.

“You’re warm,” he murmured sleepily.

She smiled against his shirt. “That’s because I’m wearing your hoodie.”

“Keep it,” he said, without hesitation.

Y/N tilted her head back slightly so she could look up at him. “You sure?”

His eyes met hers, blue and unguarded, still heavy with sleep but clear in a way that made her breath catch. “Yeah,” he said, softer. “Looks better on you anyway.”

That made her cheeks flush, and she quickly looked down to hide the smile pulling at her lips. His fingers brushed her jaw gently, coaxing her gaze back to his.

“You always do that,” he said, voice quiet.

“Do what?”

“Look away when I’m staring at you.”

“That’s because you stare,” she teased, her voice a little too breathless for her liking.

“I do,” he admitted. “And you never seem to notice how much I like it.”

She blinked. The teasing vanished from his voice—replaced by something quieter, deeper.

Her heartbeat stumbled.

“Bucky…” she started, unsure of what to say. But he was already leaning in, his hand moving up to cup her face with infinite care—like he was afraid she might flinch or vanish if he wasn’t gentle enough.

“I’m gonna kiss you now,” he murmured, eyes flicking from hers to her lips and back. “Unless you tell me not to.”

She didn’t say a word.

She couldn’t.

Instead, she nodded, just once—barely a breath of movement—and then he was kissing her.

Soft. Slow. Deliberate.

It wasn’t the kind of kiss that demanded or rushed. It was the kind that lingered, like he had all the time in the world. His lips moved against hers with a careful sort of reverence, like he couldn’t quite believe she was real. Her fingers curled into the front of his shirt, and she kissed him back just as softly, pouring into it every quiet moment they’d shared—every time he’d sat beside her in silence, every word he hadn’t needed to say.

When they finally pulled apart, their foreheads rested together, breath mingling.

“Well,” she whispered, her lips still tingling, “that was... worth staying up for.”

Bucky gave a small huff of laughter. “Yeah?” he said, brushing his thumb over her cheek. “Because I’ve been thinking about doing that for a long time.”

“You should’ve said something.”

“I think I just did,” he said, and this time, the smile that curved his lips was real—and a little smug.

Y/N shook her head, grinning as she nudged his chest playfully. “You’re lucky I like you, Barnes.”

“Yeah,” he said, pressing another feather-light kiss to the corner of her mouth. “I’m starting to figure that out.”