affliction

twenty-one

Beth's POV

I managed to avoid seeing anyone but Nat and Wanda today, I had them bring me my food and I just skipped the gym altogether. I just not ready to see Bucky or hear about something he did, just need a minute to myself. I want to get to the bottom of the mystery of my father killing my family, but I don't think I'm ready to hear that it was for Bucky's benefit.

It's now midnight and me, Nat and Wanda are all 3 watching a movie in my room. We decided to stay in my room so that they could show me how to use my tv. Of course, Tony being Tony, he got a super expensive and difficult one.

I'm in the middle of the bed so that if I fall asleep, chances are I'll be touching one of them at all times, so my theory might work. Wanda and Nat are in and out of sleep, the movie they chose being particularly boring. I decide to try and drift off to sleep, hopefully my plan will work.

Bucky's POV

It's 2 am and I just got done talking to Steve. Beth stayed in her room all day, I'm not exactly sure if it's something I did, or if it's just a personal issue and she wanted to be alone. He convinced me to believe the latter.

That being said, I'm back to not sleeping. I tried laying in my bed to see if I was suddenly cured of that, but it didn't work. I even tried pretending she was there, but that didn't work either. I've now resorted to the floor. I know this is how I've been sleeping for years, but now that I know what it's like to actually sleep, it just isn't comfy anymore.

Suddenly, JARVIS starts speaking and I almost jump out of my skin.

"Mr. Barnes, there's a situation in B's room. Miss. Romanoff requests your presence immediately."

I immediately jump off the floor and run to the stairwell, skipping the elevator. I can run up 2 floors faster than I would waiting for that damn thing. The second I open the stairwell door in the 15th floor, I hear yelling. I run to B's room, opening the door.

B is turning on the bed, crying in her sleep. Wanda has her hands over B's head, shooting her powers at it, she's the one yelling. "It won't work, her brain won't shut off the memories! I'm powerless, I can't do anything."

Natasha looks over and sees me. "Bucky, please help. We don't know what to do. She won't wake up."

I walk over. "What's wrong with her? What's happening?"

"She's having a nightmare. She has them every night except for the nights she's slept with you. She thought she just needed someone else in the room, but we were both in here and she still had one. It's never been this bad before, this is the worst one she's had since she's been here. Try talking to her or something."

I lean over on the bed to make sure she can hear me. "Beth, come on, wake up. You're fine. It's just a dream." She keeps thrashing and crying and I stand back up and look at Nat. "I don't know what to do, she's never had one with me. What stops mine is Steve knocking me out and I'm definitely not doing that."

"Come on, Bucky. Think. What could be the thing that stops her nightmares?"

I sigh. "Umm. Fuck, okay. When she sleeps with me, her head is always against my chest in some way. Maybe it's hearing a heartbeat that calms her down?"

She shoves me back towards the bed. "Try it, it can't make it any worse than it is right now."

I sit on the bed beside her and pull her to sit upright. I lay her head against my chest so she can easily hear my heartbeat. I make sure to take deep breaths so they're easier to hear. She keeps thrashing for a few seconds, but then her body stills. She's still crying, though.