Lux Brumalis: "The light of winter"/"Winter's light."
After defeating the Flag Smashers and conquering his inner demons, Bucky is trying to live a quiet life in New York City. While being Cap's sidekick has brought him (mostly unwanted) fame and at...
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A/N: The beginning of this chapter came from a night terror/sleep paralysis incident that I had when I was living with one of my friends. I was screaming in my sleep, and he actually kicked my door off of its hinges to bust in and wake me up. I described my actual sleep paralysis incident in this as best I could. It's the one nightmare I've had that haunts me to this day. Also, hopefully, the nightmare gives y'all a bit more of a clue as to what's going on.
Also CW for smut (praise kink, oral sex, dirty talking Bucky)
Charlotte's eyes pop open. Something feels wrong at first. There's a heaviness in the room. A darkness. She feels fear.
Her mind takes a moment to assess where she is. Bucky's room. Warm. Under blankets. She can move her toes. She can feel Bucky beside her; the weight in the bed and the heat from his body. She can hear his breath, gentle and soft as he sleeps. Charlotte can see him out of her peripherals.
She smiles, but when she goes to roll over, she can't move. Her eyes can look around the room and she can lift her head a little, but nothing else. Charlotte's eyes find a shape in the darkness. Standing by the door. Tall, almost formless. She sees a head and a shapeless body with no discernible limbs. Her heart thuds, blood roars in her ears, and she tries desperately to move her body.
"Bucky," she hisses. "Bucky, wake up."
"Bucky," the figure whispers. It doesn't sound human, it sounds like a chorus spreading through the room. Charlotte stills and stares at it, trying to make her eyes wider so that she can see features, anything that would help her figure out what the fuck is in the corner of the room.
And then it takes a step toward her. And another.
And another.
Until it's standing at the foot of the bed, its body heaving as it breathes in and out, slowly, patiently. Charlotte's eyes widen and all she can do is stare as the thing in front of her reaches its long arms out, claws on its hands and presses down at the foot of the bed. She begins to hyperventilate, still unable to move her body. The thing begins to crawl onto the bed, ignoring Bucky completely. She can't see its face, but she can tell that it's completely focused on her. Charlotte begins to whimper, tears trickling down her temples as the creature gets closer and closer and she feels a sharp nose drag up the side of her face, and then something wet and textured. A tongue.
There's pressure on her body as the figure engulfs her. Her heart pounds and she feels like she can't get enough air into her lungs.
And then she hears a chuckle, followed by a sound she's heard before. Horses make it. Charlotte couldn't even name it if she tried right now. She can barely remember her own name. The noise sounds like an old engine struggling to start up, but it's coming from the creature's throat. Hot breath fans against her face, and then she hears a purring sound. It feels dark, almost demonic.
