reader was a highly skilled neuropsychologist who worked for what used to be SHIELD. a couple days after the bombing in vienna, her friend and coworker, sharon carter, asks a favor of her: to relocate to wakanda in order to help treat and rehabilita...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
- - -
It was four in the morning when the psychologist and the super soldier got in their respective beds after the nightmare. Y/N laid on her side in the bunk across from Bucky, facing away from him and staring at the wall. Her body wanted to sleep but her mind kept whirring on and on, worrying about him.
It wouldn't be that bad if she could just ignore it. It wouldn't be so bad if she wasn't wide awake also thinking about how it would be utterly impossible for him to have any eye color other than blue.
She sighed. Christ almighty, just go to sleep.
About twenty minutes passed before she heard it.
"Why are you still up?" he mumbled.
She turned over to her other side, dramatically, staring at his silhouette in the dark.
"How could you possibly know that?"
"I'm a trained assassin," he said, as a matter of fact. "I can recognize breath patterns."
"Yeah, well I know for a fact that you aren't even trying to fall back asleep."
"How could you possibly know that?" he repeated her question.
"I just do," she stated before turning on her back and staring straight up.
He scoffed playfully.
"What?" she asked.
Her tone wasn't as playful. It wasn't angry or annoyed; she could never be with him. But, it was void of emotion and her usual sarcastic cadence. She didn't enjoy people reading her like that. She knew he wasn't, but it felt like she was being called out for caring so much. She wanted to rein in her own compassion, but she couldn't help the way he softened her.
"That's just code for 'I'm a trained psychologist and I know how you're gonna react to nightmares.'"
She replied with silence, desperately trying to end the conversation so she could try to sleep and leave this night behind.
"Sorry, did I- did I say something?" he asked.
"No, you're good."
Part of her felt bad for being short with him, but she needed it to be over. She needed to somehow distance herself from her own feelings.
"I'm sorry if I woke you up with the nightmare and messed with you being able to fall back asleep. I know it's... a lot."
He's sorry. He's sorry?
"Don't you dare apologize. It's not your fault, and it's not even why I can't fall back asleep."
