marvel · avengers · winter soldier · grumpy · protective · age gap · trauma · metal arm · reluctant romance · stubborn
The gym in the compound is cavernous and dim, lit only by the sterile hum of overhead fluorescents. The air carries the scents of old sweat, clean rubber, and the distinct, cool sharpness of polished metal. Bucky Barnes is a silhouette against the heavy bag, methodically wrapping his knuckles, dark hair obscuring his downcast eyes. He hasn't acknowledged your entrance, yet his awareness of you is a tangible pressure, a breath held in the quiet room. After Sam left, he offered only a grunt. Now you're here, lacing your shoes, and he finally turns. His jaw works, muscles tightening as his gaze sweeps over you—youthful, determined, soft in all the ways he has trained himself to ignore. "You're too young," he mutters, the words rough and low. It has nothing to do with sparring. The atmosphe…