Recollection ★ Bucky Barnes

It Was Just A Dream

"How's she been holding up?" Steve asked, leaning against the back of his recliner.

He had invited Bucky and Marlena over to talk about everything that had happened and since they had not seen each other since the day Bucky took Marlena home from Sam's after the rescue mission, they had quite a few things to discuss.

Bucky shrugged, glancing down at Marlena. She had laid down on the couch opposite of Steve, her knees pulled up so her legs weren't dangling over the side. She was using Bucky's lap as a pillow, her brunette locks splayed out across the dark denim of his jeans. It had taken her all of twenty minutes until she was fast asleep.

"She's barely slept since I brought her home." Bucky glanced down at her as she slept, his metal hand resting on the gray sleeve of her baseball tee, the other stroking her hair. "She just lays there with her eyes closed, pretending she's asleep. . .but I can tell by the way she breathes that she's awake."

"Well, I know how she feels. It's hard to sleep when thoughts of your past are running through your mind." Steve sighed, taking a sip out of his water glass.

"That's not the only thing bothering her, though. She had a friend, Hallie," Bucky saw her hand twitch, distracting him momentarily.

"What is it?" Steve asked, leaning forward as he examined the worried look on Bucky's face.

"I think she's having a nightmare." Bucky frowned as she twitched in her sleep once more.

He removed his right hand from her hair and held her hand, a strange feeling sparking when his skin made contact with hers.

He knew exactly what was happening; she was unintentionally showing him what was going on in her mind—her nightmare. He could see himself there, as well as Mason. It was as if he was seeing it from Marlena's eyes.

Her hand reached out, her fingertips pressing to Mason's temple gently. She was looking into his mind, and using her powers, transferring memories that Bucky couldn't quite make out into Mason's mind. It seemed to be working until Mason's eyes rolled back into his head, his body going limp as he fell backwards. Bucky could feel Marlena's heartbeat change as she dropped to her knees beside Mason, his body shaking until it eventually stopped.

"No! Mason, please, get up! Wake up!" She sobbed, her fingertips checking all of Mason's pressure points for a pulse.

Bucky felt nothing, and he knew what had happened. Marlena's powers were too much for Mason to handle, and he had experienced some sort of sensory overload. Mason was dead, and Marlena was responsible.

Just then, it was as if he were forced out of Marlena's mind and she jolted upwards, panting heavily as she clutched her chest. Bucky immediately grabbed her shoulders, making her face him as he shook his head.

"It was just a dream, Marlena," Bucky reassured her, unsure of whether or not she knew he had seen the nightmare as well.

Marlena closed her eyes, nodding as a few stray tears escaped her eyes. Bucky pulled her onto his lap, her arms wrapping around his neck as her face buried into the crook of his neck. He rubbed her back gently, trying to calm her down. He looked at Steve, who was now leaning back in the recliner again, a sympathetic frown plastered on his face.

"I don't want this anymore," Marlena whispered as she finally began to calm down.

"I know. The nightmares won't last forever, though, Mar." Bucky replied, kissing the side of her head.