A Little Calm...

System

Bleeding Love - Leona Lewis

You've developed a system now for his sleeping. He doesn't like sleeping on the floor but he's also not the comfiest in a bed. The way he described it almost made it seem like he felt trapped. Like he couldn't move because he sank into the mattress. But you've worked it out so that he's easing back into it, rather than sleeping on the cold floor. You being there, just feeling your touch helps him. Pulls him back to reality.

As expected, he wakes up that night with a nightmare; a violent one. This is where the system comes into place. He doesn't get them very badly and sometimes not at all, as long as he's distracted during the day, otherwise he's thinking about things that trigger them. Being reminded of his army days is a confusing subject to side track him. On the one hand, it was a time before all of this, a simpler time. But on the other, nobody likes to be reminded of war.
So, if you can't keep his mind off of a trigger during the day, you've found that a good way of soothing him after a nightmare is to talk about your dreams. You're prone to very vivid (and often a bit crazy) dreams. He discovered this after he had one a few nights after his time in the hospital, next to you, and he asked what you were dreaming about. Listening to you talk about the magic door that could take you anywhere in space, time or imagination, but for some reason only worked for other people (for you, it would only take you to the grocery store) somehow managed to distract and calm him.

Tonight, you wake up before him, due to the subtle twitching in his sleep. You know that it's best to let him ride it out, rather than wake him suddenly. Unfortunately, you found out the hard way that waking him in the middle of a nightmare can result in getting chucked off the bed. If he's not already in the thick of it, you sooth him back to a calm. But tonight you can tell that he's already too far into it to stay asleep.
When he finally wakes with a sudden jolt to an upright position, you keep your distance for a second as he becomes more aware of his surroundings. The quiet scream he lets out within the panting, breaks your heart, but you stay away for a few more seconds before being given the go ahead. When he looks at you to show that he's fully awake, you approach quickly, desperate to comfort him. You hold his head under your chin and let him settle on top of you.

Bucky
"What was your dream?"

Remembering your dreams is getting easier, the more you need to. Therefore, you have this one ready in detail, almost like telling him a story to send him to sleep.

Y/n
"I dreamt that I was a ballerina, and was performing on the top of a sky scraper. One of the pointy ones like the Empire State or the Chrysler. The only people watching were on the ground, hundreds of meters below. I had to do a pirouette on the very top spire. Then I just, leaped off. Like the air would catch me."

When you look down, Bucky's already back to sleep. It's more peaceful this time. Maybe it's him being wrapped in your arms as apposed to the other way around, but you're just glad he can get some sleep. So far, he's never had a double event, but you're ready for it he does.