Inevitable (Bucky Barnes x OC) [Book 3]

2. You Are Free

Washington DC, 2012

I couldn't remember what I had dreamt of, only that I had unknowingly ended up on the floor beside my bed. My sheets were kicked down to the foot of the mattress in a tangled mess, and my quilt looked like it had fallen off the bed with me.

I had officially been out of cryostasis for over a month, and Director Fury had suggested- more like demanded- that Steve and I get our own apartment off of SHIELD property. Natasha had a hand in showing us a two-bedroom apartment not far from The Triskelion building and right in the middle of the city, easily accessible to everything the Capitol had to offer.

And even though Steve and Natasha were attempting to get me more accustomed to the new life I had been gifted, it still seemed impossible to adjust to this newfound freedom I had gained. I was constantly looking over my shoulder, waiting for someone to take me away and shove me back into a tank for another fifty years...

Steve must have heard me struggling in my sleep, or maybe I had woken him up by screaming again. Either way, he had barged into my room, still half asleep, yet wild-eyed. His chest rose and fell almost as rapidly as mine was as he scanned my room, finding me on the floor instead of in my bed.

This had been an ongoing ritual since the first night I had been awake.

"Did you fall out of bed again?" He asked, seeing me and my mattress's disheveled appearance.

My cheeks turned a beet red.

"I'm sorry I woke you..."

"Don't be," he hesitantly entered my room before offering me his hand. "Another nightmare?"

I nodded, unable to explain myself.

"You wanna talk about it?" He asked, coming over to sit next to me on the floor. I shook my head at him.

"Nothing to talk about," I replied.

"It's been a month, Haze."

"I know it's been a month, Steve," I let out an exhausted sigh, rubbing my eyes to get acclimated to the darkness. The only light coming from the hallway peeking from behind my opened door. "However, my subconscious believes that sleep is of little consequence to reliving my misfortunes."

"What was it about this time?" He asked.

"I can't remember," I replied. "I only remember it being dark and... cold."

I involuntarily shuddered from the lingering feeling of my body being encased in ice, and Steve took notice. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer to him.

"It happens," Steve's lips pressed in a tight line as he gazed down to see me pulling at the skin around my nails. He took his hand in mine to keep me from ripping the skin off my fingers, squeezing tightly. "When I first woke up, I had nightmares every night, too. The first few weeks were hell."

"You did?" I shifted in my spot so that I could look at Steve clearly. "What could you possibly have nightmares of?"

Steve sighed, unable to look me in the eyes.

"Mostly the plane crash," Steve explained. "Going in the water."

He went on to tell me how he would wake up in a cold sweat, shaking violently from being so cold. It felt like he was freezing all over again. It was truly terrifying to hear, mostly because I could understand the feeling. But, thinking of him being all alone and afraid...