ＲＥＤＥＭＰＴＩＯＮ {TONY STARK'S LITTLE SISTER FAN-FICTION}

7. THE NIGHTMARE MOON

"Elizabeth?"

She jolted awake, her body trembling, drenched in cold sweat. Tears streamed down her face, the golden hue of her eyes shimmering with the dim light of the room. Her chest heaved as her heart thundered in her ears, each beat loud and relentless.

Bucky knelt on the floor beside the bed, his hands gently supporting her head. His face was etched with concern, his steel-blue eyes searching hers for answers. The faint melody of Glenn Miller's In the Mood played softly from the record player in the corner, an eerie contrast to the intensity of the moment.

"You—you were screaming in your sleep," Bucky said, his voice low and steady, though the worry in it was unmistakable.

Elizabeth's hand instinctively moved to her chest, her fingers brushing against her skin as if to ground herself. She shivered at her own touch, her breath still coming in ragged gasps. "I'm sorry I woke you," she managed to whisper, her voice hoarse.

Bucky stood, extending a hand to her. "Don't be," he said firmly. She hesitated for only a moment before taking it, letting him help her to her feet.

As soon as she was upright, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. The gesture was instinctive, desperate. Despite everything—despite the distrust, the anger, the unresolved tension—she needed this. She needed him.

Bucky froze for half a second before his arms encircled her, his touch steady and reassuring. "What happened?" he asked softly, his voice close to her ear.

Her tears slowed as she rested her forehead against his chest. When she finally pulled back, she looked up at him, her eyes glistening. "Nothing," she murmured, shaking her head at herself. "I'm okay."

His voice was filled with sincerity, and it cracked something deep inside her. "You had a nightmare, Liz. And that's alright. I have them every night."

Her heart cracked at his admission. "You do?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "About what?"

Guiding her back to the bed, Bucky sat beside her. For a moment, he seemed to wrestle with whether to answer. Finally, he spoke. "Sometimes they're flashbacks of what I did when I was the Winter Soldier," he said quietly. "And other times... they're fears. Things I'm afraid might happen."

Elizabeth glanced toward the record player in the corner, its soft music filling the heavy silence between them. Beside it, she noticed a blanket folded neatly and a small journal lying on the floor. She wondered briefly if Bucky wrote down his thoughts the way she did, but she didn't ask. Instead, she focused on him.

"You had one tonight," she said, though it was more of a statement than a question. "Didn't you? About the mission?"

Bucky shook his head. "No," he admitted, his voice tinged with regret. "It was about Howard and Maria."

Elizabeth blinked, surprised. "You know their names?"

"I know all of their names," he said simply, his gaze fixed on his hands. "Every single one."

The weight of his words hung in the air, and Elizabeth felt a pang of guilt for all the times she had only seen him as the man who had caused her pain. She never stopped to think about the pain he carried with him.

-

The ex-assassin sat across from the Stark genius, their shared silence heavy with unspoken words as they picked at their breakfast. The clink of utensils on plates echoed in the otherwise quiet room, creating a tension that neither of them seemed ready to break.

Bucky finished his plate first, setting his fork down with deliberate care. He leaned back slightly in his chair, wiping his mouth with a napkin before his gaze shifted to Elizabeth. He studied her for a moment, his expression contemplative. "You seem different," he finally said.