Lux Brumalis: "The light of winter"/"Winter's light."
After defeating the Flag Smashers and conquering his inner demons, Bucky is trying to live a quiet life in New York City. While being Cap's sidekick has brought him (mostly unwanted) fame and at...
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CW: Smut, light bondage, rough-ish sex, soft!dom!Bucky, vibrators, teasing, mentions of murder, and soft!Bucky.
"Are you okay?" Bucky asks as they sit on the subway. Their thighs are touching. She wants to reach out and hold his hand, lean on him for comfort, but she doesn't. She doesn't know what they are yet. Charlotte isn't sure she's ready to have that conversation.
She can't stop thinking about those eyes in the window, and in her office. She's been exhausted lately, and overwhelmed. Maybe it's stress, but it doesn't feel like stress. This feels so much more sinister, like something waiting in the wings to take her down.
Her eyes dart around the train and find stranger's faces - some of them look away when she glances at them, and others hold her stare. A chill rushes down her spine and she looks down at the floor.
"Charlotte?" Bucky asks. "Are you okay?"
"What?" She blinks. "Oh, yeah. Totally."
He raises a brow and goes to put his arm around her, but stops himself.
"Can I?"
"Yeah," she whispers. "That would be really nice."
Bucky pulls her close and rubs her shoulder. She leans against him and closes her eyes, feeling safe in his arms. They get off the subway and stroll toward the apartment, deciding to stop off at the grocery store to get something for dinner. Charlotte just wants to do something quick and easy. She picks up one of those small frozen lasagnas and Bucky frowns.
"What?" She laughs. "You don't like lasagna?"
"No, I do. I just don't think that's big enough."
Charlotte looks down at it.
"It serves four."
"Charlotte, that's for children." She starts to laugh as Bucky smirks and reaches into the freezer, grabbing the family size portion. "You wanna get this."
"Serves ten?"
"Yeah. Or you and one super solder."
Charlotte throws her head back and laughs. They grab some shitty white wine and head toward the counter. Bucky pays and carries the bags. When they get outside, Bucky's arm doesn't leave its place from around Charlotte's shoulder.
"I really like living with you," he says as he looks down at her.
"You do?"
"Yeah. It's been really nice to have someone to eat dinner with, dance with... and... do other stuff."
She blushes and covers half of her face with her hand.
"You're pretty when you smile," he tells her.
"So are you."
There's something blossoming between the two of them. Both of them can feel it, but Charlotte can also feel that neither of them want to say anything just yet. She can't speak for Bucky, but she's afraid this affection is one-sided. She's been wrong about these things before, and she's reluctant to get her heart stomped on again.
