Cherish | Bucky Barnes x Reader

31 - Thank You

~Bucky's POV~

It was late at night and I wasn't asleep, I stayed up watching the TV whatever show was on was actually a rather good show and it kept me entertained. I never really slept much thanks to some lingering nightmares but I was getting better slowly, I knew little to no sleep wasn't good for me but I couldn't help it. I had gently placed my feet on the end of Y/n's bed earlier for more comfort and I was comfy and slightly tired, I was thinking about trying for sleep when a feel a jolt against my legs.

I look to my side at Y/n her face was scrunched up in distress, I move my legs and sit upright watching her and she jolts against except this time her supposedly weak hands grasp the sheets extremely tight shaking as they do. I begin worrying now noticing her distress until that's when I heard a sound I'd never thought I'd hear, a scream you could tell it was gut wrenching but because of how sore her throat was it was far less than that but still painful. I move in reaction this time to stand beside her, I place a light hand to her shoulder as she shakes.

"Y/n" I state, trying to wake her normally, I repeat this action a few more times until I realise this wasn't working and she screams again. I grasp her shoulders with two hands this time and sit beside her as I do so, I shake her rough enough to wake her up but soft enough not to hurt any wounds or sores.

"Y/n, wake up! You're safe at home, wake up! Come on." A few more shakes and she wakes up wide eyed like a deer in headlights, tears streaking down her cheeks and shakes wracking her body from crying. But she's holding her breath.

"Hey, come back down. You're okay, you're home and here with Steve, the Avengers, me. You're Safe." She breaths heavily for a moment.

"James.." it was weak and coarse like earlier but that was thanks to the screams, once she recognised it was me she collapses into me her face buried into my neck crying.

~Steve's POV~

We had all been woken up by Friday alerting us that Y/n was in severe distress, we all figured Bucky needed us there but as we turned up Natasha held me back from bursting in to point through the window. Y/n was in distress but she wasn't in distress alone, she was crying into Bucky who had his arm around her rubbing her back while the other brushed through her hair.

"He's got it covered." Wanda makes the comment.

"Are we sure, how do we know they won't kill each other?" I state still watching through the window at the two.

"Because if they were going to kill each other he would not be comforting her like that." Clint claims, and as I look I see what they mean as Bucky holds and soothes my sister. It was nice to finally see them not at each other's throat.

"Alright, yeah. Let's head back to bed, they'll be fine." We all leave the two be and head back to bed to get some much needed sleep.

~Reader's POV~

I don't know how long I'd been crying into his neck but it felt like a whole decade, I never wanted him to see me this way but right now I needed him. My crying had died down and once I was semi-back to normal I leant back from him, his arms dropping to in front of us holding my forearms lightly. We don't really say anything but I sniffle and I feel a cool thumb and a warm thumb lightly swipes across my cheeks wiping the tears away.

"You don't have to talk about it, especially with me." I keep looking down at my hands as he grabs a tissue, he was being extremely kind and caring and I wanted nothing more than some mental relief.

"Those few days were difficult in a lot of ways." I take the tissue from his hand expecting him to shut down the conversation but he doesn't he stays sat there, so I decide to continue.

"I never once gave away any information about everyone, especially you. They were really interested in you but I couldn't do that to you so I took the beatings." I cough a few times and Bucky reaches to the table grabbing a half full cup of water which I shakily take and drink completel, he takes it from my hand and places it back down refilling it.

"Y/n, you don't have to carry on." I shake my head.

"No it's okay, I've never dealt well with keeping these sorts of things to myself usually it's Steve I talk to but. Oddly enough I don't want to talk to Steve about this, I feel like you understand more."

"I do, except for the talking about it part." I blow my knows and sniffle.

"You know, it'd be easier to be around you if it felt like you were more human like to talk to. Opening up might actually make you feel good." He scoffs at me and I just judge his shoulder in response but wince as I do so grabbing my side.

"Alright, alright no harsh movements please. Why don't you relax back onto the bed, what happened isn't good for your injuries." I roll my eyes but do as he says since it was starting to hurt, he helps me lay back ever so slightly and once I feel the pillow I trust my full faith in it and let my weight collapse into the bed.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." He moves back into the chair he was previously sitting in putting his feet on the end of my bed watching the TV.

"Bucky?" He hums in response.

"I don't think I want to sleep, but I am extremely tired. What works for you?" He doesn't really respond for a few moments.

"Well to be completely honest, I still haven't figured that out myself." I don't respond, I don't really know what to respond with but then I remmeber back to the 40s after mine and Steve's mother had died, we were devastated.

"I remember back in the 40s when mine and Steve's mother died, we were devastated and Steve was also ill like always. But I was struggling with sleep, I kissed her greatly and you decided to take care of us. After a few nights of me not going to sleep you got fed up a little with it so to solve it you let me lay with you as you sang my mothers song she would always sing. How simple it was then huh." He doesn't respond to me at all and I get a little upset at this until I hear movement and I watch as he gers up and walks over to beside me.

"What?"

"Move over. Carefully." I look at him confused but can't be bothered to argue or anything so I gently try to shift myself to the side, I barely do so thanks to being weaker and sore stupid Cody.

"Lean forward, a little." I do as he asks slowly, I watch as he draws the sheets back but he doesn't look beneath them all he does is start to climb I and I watch confused. He's extremely wary of harming me in any way but he does position himself close to me and opened his arm.

"Come here, but be careful I don't want to hurt you or for you to hurt yourself." I look at him with a blank face.

"I mean it, come here. Don't hesitate to rest fully." I think over it for a moment but decide to just go with it, I move myself a little closer to Bucky and let my back rest against him once I was comfortable and sure that nothing was sore or getting hurt I lean fully back against him with a sigh. He was actually far comfier than the pillows but I wouldnt admit that, his arm wraps my shoulder gently and comdortingly and without warning I hear the softest  voice start singing. Bucky was singing my mother's song, Stardust. I listen intently, I always did love how Bucky sang it with such emotion and his voice was surprisingly soft. He sings it in full and just like in the 40s it worked like a charm it made me extremely drowsy and relaxed and just calm, I feel myself leaning into him more and more until eventually the song was over and I'm fighting sleep.

"Thank you James."

"Always." I smile softly and let myself fall asleep with content not afraid to fall asleep so much this time.