What the Water Gave Me

Chapter Ten

That night, after a fierce scrub of the carpet, Steve dragged a sleeping bag into the room and Bucky watched him from where he still lay, half propped up on the bed. He watched Steve roll it out next to the bed and Bucky couldn’t help but feel a little crestfallen. He’d thought, well… Well, he was in Steve’s bed, after all, and he’d sort of thought maybe Steve would be in Steve’s bed, too. Ideally.

He made a noise, a whine, if at least to get Steve’s attention, and he looked up and raised an eyebrow, standing straight.

“What?” He said and Bucky pointed at the sleeping bag. “You’re in my bed,” Steve said as he tugged a pillow off the mattress beside Bucky and tossed it to the carpet. “I don’t really have anywhere else to go.”

Bucky looked down at the ground and back up at Steve and then glanced at the mattress under him pointedly.

“What are you trying to say?” Steve asked exhaustedly and in response, Bucky scooted over a little as best he could and patted the mattress next to him. “You want me to sleep with you??” Steve said and Bucky made a face and then scooted himself back indignantly.

Fine, he thought. Be that way.

Steve stood there for a minute, considering.

“It’s sort of wet,” he finally said and Bucky grinned and nodded. Steve laughed. “Yeah, I know that’s what you’d want, but I’m not a siren.”

Bucky, sensing that Steve might be breaking down, patted the spot next to him again innocently and, with a sigh, Steve climbed up and joined him.

“Alright, fine,” he gave in. “But just because you’re hogging all my pillows and I don’t have any other place yet.”

Steve was warm next to him, hot like humans always were, with their warm blood and skin. Steve closed his eyes and Bucky watched him, scooting ever so slightly closer, and then nuzzling his face into Steve’s shoulder. Steve opened one eye and looked over at him. He chuckled a little, but said nothing and Bucky felt him lift his arm and sling it around Bucky’s shoulders, dragging him nearer and cuddling him although Steve was by far the smaller one. Bucky became stiff, holding his breath, unable to believe this was happening to him. A few seconds later, he relaxed a little into Steve’s embrace and couldn’t stop a smile. He pressed his cheek gently on Steve’s chest, curling up as best he could around him, and Steve reached over and stroked some of his hair back.

“You must have been very lonely,” Bucky heard him whisper and he wasn't sure if he was or not, but something about the idea made his heart hurt, and he squeezed himself closer to Steve and stopped thinking about it.