Something hit the side of your head sharply, waking you from your much needed slumber. You blinked groggily, sitting up slowly as your eyes adjusted to the darkness.
Looking to your left, you saw your boyfriend thrashing around in his sleep. His hair was stuck to his sweat soaked forehead, his face scrunched up in clear distress.
"Not her! Not my friends! Let them go!" he cried out.
You leaned over him, brushing his hair out his face gently. "Bucky, wake up," you whispered urgently. "It's not real, Bucky."
His eyes flew open, a look in them that you didn't recognise. He glared at you, and pushed you with all his strength. You flew across the room, hitting the wall with a thud.
As you struggled to get your breath back, he lifted you from the floor, his cold metal fingers digging into your slender neck.
"Bucky, it's me," you wheezed, clawing at his fingers desperately. You were starting to feel dizzy as his fingers cut off your air supply. "Please-"
"You think begging for your worthless life makes a difference to me?" he said harshly, his grip on your neck tightening.
"Bucky, it's me. Your girlfriend," you whispered, trying to breathe.
"You're my mission," he spat. Hot tears rolled down your cheeks.
"Buck!"
His grip on your neck loosened as he turned to face Steve, standing in the doorway, and you fell to the floor in a heap as your last try at consciousness failed.
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
Bright white light. Sterile smell. Something cold and metal just touching your hand.
Your brain felt like it was ricocheting off the inside of your skull as you shifted your head slightly to the right.
"Bucky," you whispered, squeezing his hand weakly. His head snapped up, the wild look gone from his grey eyes. They were tinged with red, like he'd been crying for hours.
"Oh god, (Y/N)," he said, tears rolling down his cheeks. You reached up and clumsily wiped them away.
"Hey, I'm alright," you told him gently. He shook his head, more tears replacing the ones you'd wiped away.
"I nearly killed you," he whispered, his bottom lip wobbling like that of a young child trying not to cry.
"That wasn't you, Bucky," you said sternly.
"But your neck. I left those bruises," he sobbed. You touched your neck gingerly, wincing as your fingers brushed the area where the cold metal fingers had held you.
"Bucky, stop blaming yourself. We both know that it's going to take time for you to heal completely, something like this was bound to happen sooner or later," you told him.
"You're going to leave me, aren't you?" he mumbled, still staring at the mottled bruises on your neck. You raised your eyebrows.
"When did you hear me saying that I'm leaving you?" you demanded.
"You're not safe around me. I'm dangerous," he said, the last word broken by a sob.
"Bucky, look at me," you said gently. You took his metal hand in yours carefully, your eyes never leaving his.
"We're all dangerous. Every S.H.I.E.L.D agent, every Avenger. Even if I left you, I would still be an Avenger, and my life would still be on the line every day. You can't protect me from everything, Bucky. No matter how hard you try."
You ran a hand through his hair gently, your fingers catching on knots and tangles.
"I love you, Bucky Barnes. Nothing can change that."
He smiled softly, bringing his human hand to rest over yours.
"I love you too."
