COBRA | B. BARNES

XIII. THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM

Mornings in the safehouse in the middle of the woods were always calm. One of them was usually tired from taking the second shift while the other was sleepy, and because Bucky and Aiyla had grown a bit close during their time living together, a mutual respect had been formed and they collaborated peacefully, taking care of each other in small ways, like making coffee.

It was Aiyla who was making their coffee this morning. Usually, she would have been quiet but there would be small conversation between her and Bucky, but today, she was distant as she got the coffee ready. Her mind was elsewhere and she almost poured too much coffee into one cup before noticing just in time and rushing to move to the other. She tried to not make it obvious, but what she didn't realise, was that he already knew.

Bucky remained quiet as he sat on the chair around the table, watching her work with a guarded expression. He had been the one to take the second shift last night, as per usual. Most of the times, he chose to stand outside and keep watch so he could notice the way the night progressed, see the stars on the sky he couldn't see in the city and then take in the colours of the sky as dawn broke out. However, last night had been cold and it had been raining. He didn't mind the cold all that much but he didn't want to bring rain into the house when he got back in so he stayed inside, busying himself with a few chores they had neglected to do during the day when he had heard it.

It was a small whimper, barely heard above his own actions and the gentle rain falling on the roof, and anyone would have missed it, but Bucky wasn't just anyone. He kept quiet, listening in carefully, hoping he had imagined it, but then the whimper was heard again, louder this time, and he was convinced.

He abandoned the sink as he dried his hands on a handkerchief nearby and rushed down the corridor just as the whimpering grew louder. He reached her room and raised his hand, prepared to get in before he hesitated. Part of him didn't want to pry. But the sounds coming from her room were growing louder, the same word repeated over and over in an almost scream, and he couldn't stop himself as he opened the door.

"No," she said again, and the sound seemed a lot more loud now that the door was open.

Bucky wanted to venture inside, wake her up, but stayed glued beside the open door instead. She was tossing in her sleep, her sheets had fallen off, and in the dim lighting the moonlight provided, he could see her face scrunched up, her eyes squeezed shut, and as her fists clenched around the sheets, he wanted to do anything that'd take her pain away.

But he didn't know what to do. He could only keep watching as her yells grew a bit quieter, and then, before she woke up, he closed the door behind him and as quietly as he had come, he left the room.

Bucky hadn't mentioned he knew about her nightmare. It was the first time it had happened since they had started living together and he didn't think that letting her know would be a good decision on his part. She would close herself off, he knew that, and the least he wanted to happen was that. It was better if she didn't know he had heard.

Even though he wasn't going to admit he had heard her screaming, he couldn't help but wonder what made her react that way. As far as he knew, people didn't just yell or start tossing around because of a simple nightmare. It must have been something vivid to make her react that way. Something from her past, most likely, that she hadn't shared. Without even meaning to, Bucky's thoughts returned to the time he had first seen her fight when they had been attacked, about a month ago.

He had seen her somewhere before. He was sure of it. He just hadn't figured out where yet.

"Here you are."

He looked up to see a cup of coffee outstreched in front of him. He smiled slightly as he accepted it with a nod, and she sat down opposite him, once again lost in her thoughts. She tagged her jumper closer to her, covering herself up, it seemed, and it occurred to Bucky then that he had never seen her dressed in something that didn't cover her whole body except from her arms. It was nothing, something he had thought of on the spot and yet at this point it seemed like she did it on purpose to hide something from him.