Like no one does

Going home

Ronnie's POV 2:10 AM

Startled awake by a loud cry and a thump, Ronnie sits up in bed straining to hear what caused the noise. With Steve gone she's more stressed than normal making it so that her usual deep sleep has been restless instead.
So anything out of the ordinary is setting her more on edge. Not taking any chances Ronnie pulled out the handgun from the hidden compartment in her headboard. Double checking that the gun was loaded and clicking off the safety Ronnie scoots over to the side of the bed. Standing up she slowly creeps over to her door and opens it.

Using the skills Natasha has taught her Ronnie stealthily makes her way down the hall, straining her ears for any sound of intruders. Faintly she hears a groan coming from down the hall where Bucky's room is. Steve had told her that Bucky had nightmares. With Steve having to leave so suddenly she'd forgotten all about that. Clicking the safety back on Ronnie made her way down to Bucky's room.

Opening his bedroom door she places the gun on the table by the door before making her way over to his bed. No need to add to the danger of waking an enhanced super soldier with a metal arm by having a gun in her hand. Keeping the very real danger of waking the thrashing Bucky in mind Ronnie stayed at the end of his bed. Poor Bucky. He was a sweaty mess all tangled up in his sheets as he whimpered and cried out in pain.

It almost looked like he was being electrocuted by how his body stiffened and convulsed. He was probably having a flashback of what Hydra had done to him to wipe his memories. Ronnie had read about what they had done to him when it came to breaking and conditioning him to become the Winter Soldier. She'd been almost physically sick to her stomach after reading those reports. This poor sweet man had been put through twenty years of literal hell before they broke him completely.

Not wanting to startle him awake which could do him and her harm, Ronnie called out to him softly, but firmly. "Bucky.. Bucky, it's Ronnie. I need you to wake up..Bucky."

She wanted nothing more than to crawl over to him. To hold and soothe him, but she knew from experience with Tony not to do that. After New York Tony had started having horrible nightmares where he would lash out at her or Pepper thinking that they were chitauri. Or that he was falling from space with his suit not working. His arms and legs flailing around uncontrollably in his attempt to stop himself.

There was nothing she could do until Bucky woke up. Standing there helpless Ronnie stifled her tears as best she could, but still a soft sob escaped her. All of a sudden Bucky jolted upright in bed gasping for air like he'd just run a marathon startling her. "Ronnie, why are you crying? Are you hurt, doll?"

Another sob escaped as she half laughed and half cried at his worry for her. "How am I? How are you?"

He looked at her confused as he pushed back his sweaty hair from his forehead. Pulling his hands away he sucked in a breath as he stared at his hands like they were covered in blood. Realizing what was wrong she rushed over to the bedside lamp and flicked it on. She needed to show him that he hadn't hurt her or anyone else.

"You're okay. It's going to be alright James. I'm here. Can I..can I touch you?" Just because he seemed okay didn't mean he was. If she touched him too soon he could still lash out from a sensory memory being triggered.

He nodded his head yes, but he refused to look at her still staring at his hands. Crawling up on to the side of the bed that was closest to him she slowly scooted next to him. Tentatively she reached out a hand to rub his back. "It's alright. It's just sweat, nothing else. You didn't hurt anyone. You were just dreaming." She softly told him. Keeping her voice calm and soothing to bring him fully back to the present.

"It wasn't." He mumbles distractedly. Furrowing her brow in confusion she asked him what he meant. "It wasn't a dream. It was real. It was all real." He cries brokenly still staring at his hands that are now shaking. She understood now. He'd been trapped in reliving his memories as the Winter Soldier.