Cuddle Bug (Bucky x reader)

Promise of a bath

You started to drift off listening to Bucky read to you. He was almost animated as he read the story, seeming to really be getting into it. He would always take a moment at the start of a page, and scan it quickly before he would get into reading it to you. When you started to wake up again, you felt a solid weight on your legs, and on your stomach, and you blinked your eyes open several times before your gaze feasted on the sight before you. Bucky had slumped over and his head was resting on your side and your stomach, his eyelashes gracing his cheeks so sweetly. You saw that his five o'clock shadow was really standing out, and looked like it would scratch at your skin if you were to reach out and touch it. You were itching to do just that, but he looked peaceful in his slumber. His lips were partially opened, and his breathing was slow and steady. His hair was tousled, and looked perfect for carding your fingers through. Your eyes flicked up to see Aurora and Alpine were both laying on your legs, both dead asleep without so much as a purr emitting from their chests. You looked towards the doorway and saw Loki was watching you with a soft smile on his face, finally seated in a chair, and playing with one of his daggers through his fingers again.
"Good morning, Kitten" he whispered, keeping his voice as low as possible. "I hope you don't mind, I used a little magic to keep the nightmares at bay"
"Thank you" you breathed, afraid of making too much of a sound and waking up Bucky. "Have you slept?" you asked curiously.
"I'm going to get a few hours of sleep once my oaf brother is awake and willing to take my post" he shook his head.
"Am I still unsafe?" you asked, your voice hitching in your throat, causing Bucky to stir slightly but thankfully remained asleep.
"I don't believe you are unsafe at the moment, but Tony is looking into it just to be sure. We all know the password now for the panic room, if anything seems awry, we are locking you in the room" his voice came out in a whisper, but still seemed smooth as silk.
"If my hand's weren't still healing..." you looked down at your recently healed hands, but they still hurt quite badly. Just like your ribs, and thighs. You knew it was more psychological, and your body was just remembering the pain it was in not even twenty four hours ago, but it was still very real in your mind.
"Doctor Cho is coming in shortly with your pain medication" Loki gave a gentle smile. "She came to check on you a few hours ago with one of her nurses. Bruce has been up since five working in the lab on your blood work again, doing his tests. Tony's been in and out of the lab most of the night" he filled you in.
"Can you use your magic to tell me what they did to me?" you asked, a hint of hope clear in your voice.
"On Asgard, with the help of my mother, yes. But it is not a place I can bring you, unfortunately" Loki frowned. "Otherwise, I would" he promised, the regret laced in his tone.
"Am I safe, Loki?" you waited a few minutes before asking again, looking at him for the cold, hard, truth.
"I do not know with any certainty. No one does at the moment" he admitted. "I don't believe so, as I said, but I cannot guarantee it either"
"I should be working on the data with Tony" you mused softly.
"You should still be sleeping" Loki shook his head.
"I just, don't know what to do with myself" you huffed, speaking a little louder and you felt Bucky stir so you stopped talking all together.
"Resting, is all you need to do for now" Loki waited a moment before responding. You wanted to hurt Hydra back for everything they had put you through the last three weeks. You knew you had hurt them pretty badly, but you wanted revenge. You took deep, even breaths, trying to calm yourself down. "It's about time for breakfast" Loki spoke after a while, his eyes still studying your face closely. He could see the thirst for revenge in your eyes, regardless of how little time had passed since your rescue. As if on queue, your stomach growled at the word breakfast and Bucky stirred again and you flushed.
"As long as it's not moldy bread" you sighed heavily.
"I assure you, it is not. I can smell the bacon cooking from here" he looked out the door to see Bruce moving about the lab, and studying his computer. Loki watched him curiously as he seemed to have a deep frown etched in his face, as though he was lost in the world's hardest puzzle, and he was going to make sure that he was the one to figure it out. Loki's attention went back to you, and you pulled out your hand from under Bucky's chest, wincing slightly at the IV still in your arm before you started softly carding your hands through Bucky's hair. Loki looked politely away, and started to study Bruce again.