Is the truth better then a dare

Getting caught in the nightmare

It was night 3 now.

Bucky and Sam went to his room together this time.

It was quite a hot night so Sam took off his t-shirt. Bucky caught himself staring at Sam's body, taking it all in. He smirked to himself and blushed slightly. He turned away so Sam couldn't see but frowned that he couldn't see Sam.

Bucky himself was also hot, but he didn't want to take his shirt off. He hated having his whole metal arm on show. He hated seeing it himself. So he kept it on.

He was so hot though.

Sam saw him sweating.

"You can take your shirt off. I don't mind."

"I'm ok" he said bluntly.

Sam realised it was because of his arm.
He wasn't sure if he should say anything, he wasn't sure if Bucky would even listen.

"Bucky, that arm is nothing to be ashamed off. I don't care about it and you shouldn't either. That arm is part of you but it's also something that shows that you are strong enough to get over what you were put through." Bucky smiled sadly as Sam's beautiful words.

Bucky reluctantly took his shirt off and got back into bed. Sam found it hard to stop looking at Bucky, but soon stopped.

Bucky caught Sam doing this, but noticed he wasn't looking at his arm, for once. Sometimes, Steve would even stare at it which made him really self conscious of it.

While Sam was checking him out, Sam saw marks where the metal met his flesh. Sam hoped that wasn't what he thought it was, but deep down, or maybe not so deep, he knew.

After a while, Bucky heard Sam's snores and began feeling tired himself. He laid down, and felt his eyes start to close. He was so busy thinking about Sam, he stopped worrying about sleeping.

Until he woke up from an awful nightmare.

In the nightmare, Sam had been shot and killed in the 40s because he was gay and Bucky didn't do anything about it.

Bucky shot up breathing loudly, he didn't want to leave Sam's side so he stayed there. He was too panicked to realise Sam had woken up.

Sam quickly went into protective mode.

"Bucky, Bucky! Are you ok"
Bucky shook his head and fell into Sam's arms.

Sam made him count his breathes, count down and count up and started brushing through his hair. Bucky focused on that too and that calmed him down.

Bucky opened his eyes wide as he realised Sam had seen him have another panic attack.

"Buck, what happened."
"I-it was a nightmare."
Sam hugged him tightly.

"It's ok. It wasn't real. I'm here now, ok.

"Sam, I'm so tired." He cried while hugging   Sam.
"What do you mean?"

Bucky stayed silent, pondering whether it was really worth telling Sam.

Bucky pulled away.

"It's nothing don't worry."

"Stop it. Please. Don't pull away now."

"Ok."

Bucky was silent for a while.

"I keep having nightmares. Nightmares of HYDRA and the winter soldier and stuff like that." He looked down.

"I um, don't really sleep because... because well I'm afraid of returning to my past. I do everything I can to stay awake. But sometimes I accidentally fall asleep and then I have a panic attacks because I have nightmares."

"Sam I don't even remember not being tired. I haven't slept peacefully in the longest time. Nothing helps at all."

"I just want to sleep." He cried out, quietly.

Sam grabbed him into another hug.

"Bucky, how have you been keeping this in."

Bucky muffled 'I don't know'

"I will make it my mission to find a way for you to sleep with no nightmares."

Bucky looked at him hopelessly.

"I promise you, I'll find something."

The rest of the night, Bucky sat there telling Sam everything.

Bucky felt annoyed he had put this all on Sam now.

"I'm so sorry Sam. I'm sorry you have to deal with this now."

"Don't apologise. I'm glad you told me because I want to help."

Bucky cried in relief.

"Is there anything I could do that could maybe help you sleep?"

Bucky did think of something. It was so embarrassing though. When he was younger, his mum would play with his hair to get him to fall asleep and earlier when he Sam played with his hair, it really relaxed him.

"It's... nothing, don't worry."

"No, please tell me, I won't judge."

"It's just, earlier when you played with my hair, it was really relaxing. My mum used to do it too." Bucky's cheeks went red in embarrassment.

"I'll try anything to help you."

Bucky was shocked he was so willing.

Bucky laid down and faced the other way.

Sam played with his hair, softly and gently. Bucky felt shivers travel down his spine. He once again felt his eyes drift off to feeling of Sam delicately touching his hair. He touched it with such care.

The next thing Bucky knew, he was woke up by a ray of sunshine, shining on his eyes.

He opened his eyes fully, and then it hit him. He woke up in the morning. He hadn't had a single nightmare and slept peacefully for once.

He cried of happiness. For once he felt like a normal human. He felt so happy and so... energised. Who know a night of sleep could do so much.

He went and had a shower to freshen him self up.

When he came back into the room Sam looked sad.

"Nightmare?"

Bucky paused and smiled.

"No"

"Wait what!"

Sam got up and pulled him into a hug. Bucky laughed for the first time in what felt like forever.

It was the most beautiful thing he had ever heard. It was like the sky's opened up when he heard him genuinely laugh.

"I'm so happy for you!" Sam said pulling from the hug.

"Thank you! I haven't felt so happy in so long." Bucky revealed.

They smiled and laughed about it and then walked downstairs.

"Hey Bucky, what's got you so giddy?" Steve noticing the grin.

"Nothing." He said, still smiling. Steve shrugged it away.

Everyone noticed the difference in Bucky's, well, everything. He was so much happier and joyful. And he didn't seem as tired too.

This was the best day of Bucky's life. He was finally happy because he finally slept.

After while, he realised what helped that. Sam. Sam actually managed to calm him enough to sleep peacefully. Bucky blushed while thinking about it. He was so glad to have Sam as a friend.

A/n

I'm not sure if I liked this one so let me know your thoughts.

Thanks 💖

~classynat