Shattered Thoughts/One-Shots (Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier)

Night Sky

   Willow couldn't sleep, her lungs were burning and her head was pounding. It felt like her bones were made of glass, and that glass was on fire. Turning over, Willow took in the sillhouette of Bucky, who had fallen asleep on top of the covers facing Willow. She hated to wake him up, but it felt like the walls were closing in, she couldn't get enough air into her lungs in this tiny room.

  "Buck," Willow whispered hoarsely. "Bucky! Wake up!"

     Bucky's eyes shot open, "What is it? What's wrong?"

 Willow instantly felt awful for waking him up, he'd been on edge for weeks now, jumping every time she coughed. "Nothing. I'm sorry. I just.." Willow broke off, coughing.

 Bucky was up in an instant, helping Willow sit up and propping her up with a pillow. "Willy, what's wrong?"

  "I can't... I can't breathe," Willow gasped out in between coughs.

 It took less than thirty seconds for Bucky to get out of bed, grab Willow's oxygen tank, and have the tubes threaded over her ears and plugged into her nose. Honestly, her husband had it down to a science at this point. The oxygen flooding into her lungs did nothing to stop the pressing suffocation. 

 "Bucky...Bucky... I can't breathe in here. Take me outside."

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 Willow had nearly given Bucky a heart attack when she'd woken him up and said she couldn't breathe. Of course that was better than when Bucky woke up because Willow was having some sort of seizure or had gotten her oxygen tubes wrapped around her throat while she was asleep and was choking. She'd said she needed to get outside, that she could breathe in here, so that was exactly where he would take her.

  Leaning down, Bucky scooped Willow out of bed, taking the blanket with her. Even with the addition of the blankets weight, Willow still weighed next to nothing, since she'd gotten sick she'd rapidly lost weight. Bucky was able to completely support Willow's weight with his metal arm, leaning down and grabbing her oxygen tank with his other hand, while still holding Willow close to his chest.

  He headed out of the bedroom, down the hall, and through the kitchen, pushing out of the door. Sitting down on the bench on the edge of their deck, Bucky settled Willow against his chest, tucking the blanket up over her shoulders. 

   "I can breathe," Willow whispered.

"Good," Bucky said, kissing her cheek.

 "Look at the stars Bucky. So Beautiful. Peaceful."

 "They seem sort of distant to me."

 Willow started to laugh, but then the laugh turned into a cough. When she was finally able to stop coughing, she settled back against Bucky's chest. "I love you Bucky."

 "I love you Willow."

 Bucky stayed awake until he could hear Willow's breathing even out as she fell asleep, and even then he stayed awake, because he didn't know how much time he had left and he wanted to have as much time as possible.