Cold to the touch
Enemies to lovers Bucky x reader
TW - smut, angst
Part 2
The compound was unusually quiet, except for the rhythmic ticking of the clock on the wall. You sat at the kitchen counter, nursing a mug of tea, hoping the caffeine would get you through another tense morning.
It wasn’t the missions, the training, or even the threat of constant danger that drained you. No, it was him.
Bucky Barnes. The Winter Soldier. Resident pain in your ass.
You had been forced to work together on Steve’s orders, a new partnership meant to “strengthen the team dynamic.” Instead, it had only strengthened your resolve to avoid him at all costs. Bucky was cold, distant, and maddeningly closed off. And worse, he seemed to go out of his way to make your life hell.“Up early, huh?” His voice, low and gravelly, startled you out of your thoughts. Speak of the devil.
You turned to find him leaning against the doorframe, his arms crossed over his chest, his piercing blue eyes fixed on you. He looked as stoic as ever, but there was a hint of amusement tugging at the corner of his mouth.
“I could say the same to you,” you replied, trying to keep your tone neutral.
He shrugged, moving to pour himself a cup of coffee. The silence stretched, heavy and awkward, until he broke it.
“You’ve been avoiding me.” It wasn’t a question.
You blinked at him, surprised by his directness. “Not everything is about you, Barnes.”
“Oh, I’m pretty sure this is,” he said, turning to face you fully. His gaze was sharp, assessing, like he was trying to read your mind. “What’s your problem with me, anyway?”
“My problem?” You laughed bitterly, setting your mug down with a clink. “You’re arrogant, impossible to talk to, and you act like the whole world owes you something.”
Bucky’s jaw tightened, the faintest crack in his icy exterior. “You don’t know the first thing about me,” he said, his voice dangerously low.
“And whose fault is that?” you shot back. “You don’t let anyone in. You’re like a damn wall.”
He took a step closer, his steel-blue eyes burning into yours. “Maybe I don’t let people in because I know how it ends. People like you—they don’t stick around when things get messy.”
The raw vulnerability in his voice caught you off guard, cutting through your anger like a blade. For a moment, you saw the man beneath the armor, the one haunted by a past he couldn’t escape.
“That’s not fair,” you said softly, your tone losing its edge. “You don’t get to push people away and then blame them for not trying.”
Bucky stared at you, his expression unreadable. Then, without warning, he closed the distance between you, his metal hand bracing on the counter beside you.
“Why do you care, anyway?” he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. “Why not just walk away?”
Your breath hitched as his proximity sent a shiver down your spine. His scent, a mix of leather and something distinctly him, filled your senses, making it impossible to think straight.
“Maybe I’m just stubborn,” you said, your voice shaking slightly.
He tilted his head, his gaze dropping to your lips. “Stubborn enough to take a chance on someone like me?”
You didn’t have time to answer. Bucky’s lips crashed against yours, desperate and unrelenting, like he’d been holding himself back for far too long. You gasped against his mouth, your hands flying to his chest, unsure whether to push him away or pull him closer.
He made the decision for you. His flesh hand slid to your waist, tugging you against him as his metal fingers traced up your spine, leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake. His kiss was messy, full of teeth and hunger, but it was exactly what you needed.
“Bucky,” you breathed when his lips left yours to trail down your jaw, nipping at the sensitive skin of your neck.
“Tell me to stop,” he rasped, his breath hot against your skin. “If you want me to, tell me now.” But you didn’t. Instead, you pulled him closer, threading your fingers through his hair as his hands roamed, exploring every inch of you like he was memorizing it.
“Hard to love, huh?” you murmured, your voice teasing despite the breathlessness.
Bucky pulled back just enough to look at you, his blue eyes dark with desire. “You have no idea.”
And then he kissed you again, and for the first time, you thought maybe you were willing to find out.