Random Simp Book (one shots, imagines, etc.)

Nightmares: Bucky Barnes x Reader

A/N: lil bucky drabble for yall

Warnings: nightmares, violence, idk

Word count: 1054

You're nestled in the curve of Bucky's body when you wake abruptly, immediately tensing all over. You keep your eyes closed, still faking sleep, something that you'll never stop doing ever since someone sent an assassin to kill you. Twice. But after a few seconds, you realise that you haven't woken up because of a hostile presence in the room, you've woken up because of Bucky.

Every muscle in his body is tense, and he's lying stock still. You know what stage will come next, so you slowly move an arm below yourself, careful not to jolt him, and once you've got both hands braced on the mattress, you push yourself away from Bucky, rolling away and onto the floor. It turns out you're just in time, because by the time you get to your feet, he's already in stage two.

Bruce named the stages in Bucky's nightmares. Stage one is staying stock still, stage two is thrashing, stage three is trying to kill whatever living thing happens to be near. Stage two is the most unpredictable; it can last for hours or minutes. Stage one is usually around ten minutes, and stage three... Well, stage three only stops when he's woken up. Bucky knows about these stages, and they're why he's extremely uncomfortable about sleeping in the same bed as you because he doesn't want to hurt you.

You decide to risk trying to wake him up in stage two, although your fully aware he could transition to stage three in a heart beat. Grabbing the blanket, which he's become entangled in, you yank it away from him, then dart forward and grab his flesh arm.

'Buck?' You ask. 'Bucky? Baby, wake up!'

He goes dead still for a second, and you recognise the warning signal, but you're not fast enough for his super soldier reflexes. All you can do is take a deep breath before his metal arm shoots out and latches around your neck like a vice, the grip slowly getting tighter and tighter. You grit your teeth, feeling like your eyes are going to pop out of their sockets, hearing the blood pounding in your ears, but you lash out with you free arm and slap him across the face. You don't like hitting him while he's having nightmares, but if it wakes him up, you'll do it, because you have no idea what Bucky would do if he killed you.

His stormy blue eyes snap open, looking near black in the dark, and the squeezing stops until the pressure he's applying is constant, not growing. Your lungs feel like they're going to burst, and you see him blinking away the glaze over his eyes. With a sharp gasp, he releases you, letting you collapse to the bed, sucking in oxygen through raw airways.

Once you've got enough air in your system, you flip your hair over your shoulder and look over at him where he's pressed himself against the wall, trying to get as far away from you as possible. It's a common occurence after stage three, where he's terrified that he'll lose control and actually start attacking you, but his brain hasn't quite cleared enough that he's remembered he can get through the door. You need to get to him before he remembers the escape route, so you sit up and approach him as fast as you can. Bucky flinches away as you stand in front of him, tucking his metal arm behind his back, knowing that it's his most dangerous weapon right now and trying to get it away from you.

'Hey,' you soothe. 'I'm here. I'm fine.'

'N - no,' he chokes out. 'I - I hurt you. I - ' He squeezes his eyes shut, and you can see in the semi dark that he's shaking. 'I should go. I - '

'You aren't going anywhere,' you snap, grabbing his flesh hand, softening your voice. 'Baby, please,' you say. 'You're awake now. You won't hurt me.'

Gently, you tug at his hand, pulling him closer to you, sighing as he stays absolutely stock still, petrified that if he moves he'll hurt you. You encircle him with your arms, smiling sadly as he gives in and buries his face into your shoulder, sobbing. His flesh arm curls around your waist, pressing you close, but his metal arm hangs limp by his side. You entwine your fingers with his metal ones, squeezing gently, but he shakes his head.

'Stop,' he whimpers. 'I'll hurt you. I...'

'No, you won't,' you answer, rubbing your thumb over his metal knuckles. You aren't sure how much of it he feels, but you do it anyway, making soothing circles on the back of his hand. 'I'm here,' you murmur in his ear. 'I'm safe, Bucky. I've got you now.'

'Why?' He sobs. 'Why do you stay with me when I can - '

'Because I love you, okay?' You interrupt. 'I love you, James Buchanan Barnes, and I'll wake you up from your nightmares every night of my life if I have to because I know what it's like to be trapped in a nightmare and I won't let you suffer like that.' You squeeze him tighter, your heart wrenching at his shuddering sobs. 'I've got you, baby,' you whisper. 'And I won't let you call anyone else doll.' You add. 'You got that?'

He nods, not quite able to speak around the lump in his throat, and you rub up and down his spine, letting him process your words, letting them sink in and remind him once again that he means something to you. You hook your fingers under his chin and tilt his face up from where it's buried in your shoulder. You glare into his steel blue eyes, making sure you've got his attention.

'I love you, Buck. You hear me? I. Love. You.'

You rise onto your tip toes and gently brush your mouth against his, tasting the saltiness from his tears, feeling his soft lips, smelling his intoxicating scent. Running a hand through his soft brown hair, you tug lightly at his locks, trying to coax a response out of him, even if it's just one word. He bows his head.

'I - I love you too, Y/N.'

'I love you more,' you smile at him, kiss his forehead. 'And I'm not going anywhere, baby.'