The Superheroes' Soulmate

Chapter 39 - Revelations

Bucky was yanked roughly out of sleep, jerking to sitting. Confused, he glanced around the unfamiliar room, thinking it had been a nightmare that pulled him out. Then he registered the soft sounds of distress coming from next to him on the bed and realized it was that that had woken him. Lexi.

Eyes strong enough to not need a light he looked down at where Lexi was currently curled into a tight all under the blanket. She was making soft whimpers in her sleep. The kind someone in pain makes. Bucky hesitated, unsure what to do exactly. Nearly everyone on the team had nightmares. That's just what happened when you went through some of the shit they had all gone through. Bucky was no stranger to nightmares himself. But his were usually more—violent than this. Lexi just curled tight into herself, making those soft whimpering sounds.

His hands fluttered over her. He couldn't decide if he should touch her or not. Some people lashed out if they were touched while in the midst of a nightmare. He had just decided not to, to let her ride it out, when she switched from the soft whimpers to a keening cry. His heart shatter at the sound and he reached out to her. Petting at her hair, her back, her shoulders. Trying gently to drag her out of wherever her nightmares had thrown her.

When she just curled tighter into herself, tried shaking her lightly, speaking in a low voice as he tried to bring her back, "Lexi? Doll? C'mon sweetheart, wake up. It's a dream. That's all."

She came out of it suddenly, on a gasping wail, and it startled him a bit. She pushed up in a panic, her eyes reeling around the room as the dregs of the nightmare cling to her. Bucky held his hands up, not wanting to startle her now that she was conscious again. He kept his voice at that same low and soothing level, "Hey, baby, it's okay. Just a dream doll. You're alright?"

She turned to him, and he could tell she wasn't quite seeing him yet, so carefully, keeping his movements small and nonthreatening he reached out to her. She stiffened slightly as he wrapped his arms around her and then she pushed into him. Burrowing her head into his chest as her body shook with the strength of her sobs.

He held her, stroking a hand gently down her hair as she cried and shook against him. He kept up a steady murmur, not really saying anything of consequence, just reminding her it was okay, she was okay, she was safe. The kinds of things Steve or Sam usually did for him as he came back from the really bad nightmares. Being a ground for her. Eventually, her body stilled and her crying stopped.

Bucky continued the soft petting of her hair, and the quiet words. Until he felt the tension leave her body completely. Then he said, "You okay?"

Her voice was strained, "Not really."

Bucky nodded, then said, "What do you need?"

She was quiet for a long time again before finally she said, "Will you just—hold me?"

"Of course." Bucky shifted, so that they were laying down and he pulled her against him. She settled her head against his chest and he listened to her breathing for a while.

"Will you talk about it?" Bucky asked her.

She was quiet for so long this time, Bucky assumed she had fallen back asleep. But then she shifted against him, her arm coming up to rest on his chest and she finally spoke again.

"Sam told you about how I had been given to a crime lord in order to secure an alliance my father wanted?"

Bucky fought to keep the spurt of rage from coming through his voice, Sam had told them all about what he had learned that day, "Yes. He told me."

"Well, there is a little more to it."

"Okay."

She was quiet again, though Bucky could tell this time she was figuring out how to say what she was going to say. Then, "I wasn't just given to him. I was forced to marry him."