Summary: Bucky & Ava are in love, they just haven’t said it outloud
Pairing: thunderbolts!bucky x thunderbolts!ava
WC/Tags: 409 / nightmare, love confession, pillow talk cuddles, ava is bad at feelings
A/N: title from ‘light shower’ by Melanie Martinez. For day 12 for @juneofdoom ‘don’t lie to me’
The room is still, save for the steady rhythm of their breathing. The warmth from the sheets clings to Ava’s skin, the air heavy with the aftermath of them. Bucky’s arm is draped around her waist, his thumb moving in slow, gentle circles against her side. They lie side by side, turned toward each other, their gazes meeting in the soft, dim light that filters through the cracks in the blinds.
The sex, like always, was great. Toe curling, the kind that leaves you breathless days after. It’s gotten intense though, the post-sex feeling. The cuddling has lasted longer, the tender touches deeper. The kissing alone has been so soft it makes Ava forget to inhale, and she often feels light headed.
She’s the first to break the silence, her voice soft. “I’m so nervous.”
Bucky’s hand twitches at her side, his fingers brushing lightly over her skin. For a moment, she swears she feels a tremble in his touch. He doesn’t answer right away, his eyes searching hers with that same intensity that sends a shiver down her spine. The light catches the shadow of the scar on his cheek, and his lips part like he’s struggling to find the words, fighting to let his guard down.
“I’m so in love with you,” he says and he sounds a little defeated, as though something inside him finally broke loose.
He’s never said it out-loud before.
He’s thought it, often, has let the want for her roam around his head like a butterfly, quick and delicate. It was his last meaning, to say them aloud. But now as the heavy words hang in the air between them, he wonders if she’ll say them back.
“Don’t lie to me.”
“You know I’m not.”
They lay motionless, looking at each other. The silence stretches between them thickly, but Bucky’s unwavering gaze tells Ava everything she needs to know. There’s no need for explanations, no need for more words. His hands tremble ever so slightly against her, but they don’t pull away, don’t leave.
Instead, they hold her close, like he’s afraid that if he lets go, she’ll begin to phase.
Ava doesn’t speak, just curls closer to him, her body seeking warmth, comfort, and maybe proof of his terrifying statement. She doesn’t have the strength to say it back, not yet, not after everything. It’s too much, too fast. But she doesn’t have to. She knows he understands.
Thank you so much to @ao3herbittersweetness for gifting me these beautiful panels for my WinterGhost fic Dead Ringer! They even look better than how I imagined the scene playing out in my head. I can't seem to look away from them ahhhh
The artist can be found here also!
This is so insane this never happened to me before! So thank you again, @ao3herbittersweetness! You are a joy and forever a wonderful contributor to the Thunderbolts tag :D
Wrote a WinterGhost story for @ao3herbittersweetness as a thank you for all their kindness and support! I also wanted to write a story that's set in Secret Wars (while also assuming they both survive Doomsday lol) that's more positive/forward-looking than glum lol
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