Multifandom Imagines

Bucky Barnes - Insomnia

The first time Steve had offered him to stay at the Compound, Bucky had refused. Partially because he had been too proud to accept the help of his friend after Steve had already done so much to help him after he escaped Hydra; partially because he didn't want to intrude on the Avengers like that. But Steve had been relentless, he'd always been. If Steve had made a decision, he was sure to get it done. So he had offered again and again and again, as many times as he needed to, to get Bucky to agree, which he did, eventually. Bucky had always had a soft spot for the boy he grew up with and could never resist for long if his friend wanted something.
„And you're sure that it's alright for me to be here?", the former Winter Soldier asked hesitantly, as they stood in the rising elevator of the Compound.
Steve smiled at him: „Of course, Buck. They'll be happy to see you."

Even though the feeling of being unwelcome still nagged at him, he chose to believe the word of his friend.
The elevator-doors opened into a vast living room, where a few members of the team lounged. They looked up as the two men stepped out into the space, greeting them warmly.
„You remember them?", asked Steve in a whisper, not wanting to embarass his friend.
Bucky nodded. There were Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye, and next to him Natasha Romanoff and Rhodey. Vision, who, other then the rest of them, had been reading a book upon their arrival, had put it down now to follow the small conversation. The TV was still on, showing some movie Bucky didn't recognize, but had been silenced asthey had entered.
„Where are the others?", Steve wanted to know.
Natasha answered with a nod to the kitchen: „Cooking dinner. Tony and Bruce are down in the lab, I think, and Thor is back home for a while."
„Alright, then we'll leave you to it."
The two soldiers went to the kitchen next, which, despite it's size, was emerged in chaos. Two women stood at the counter, one of them cutting vegetables, the other stirring a large pot, laughing and chatting while at it. At the long table next to the kitchen isle sat Sam Wilson, drinkingcoffee while watching the mess the two cooks made.
„Tony is going to kill you for ruining his kitchen again.", Steve laughed asthey entered.
Three friendly faces turned towards them.
„You're here already!", exclaimed one of the girls in excitement, „We thought you'd take longer."
She abandoned the pot to come over to the newcomers and enveloped Steve in a tight hug, laughing all the while. She was beautiful, as Bucky had to admit. (H/L) (H/C) framed her face and her (E/C) eyes shimmered with her brilliant smile, immidiately warming the whole room.
As she let go of Steve, she turned to Bucky: „You must be James. Steve has told us a lot about you. I'm (Y/N)
Bucky took (Y/N)'s hand, shaking it slowly, not able to say anything. But (Y/N) didn't mind, she smiled at Bucky and then, after she had freed her hand again, turned back to the counter:„This is Wanda, by the way."
Wanda waved at him, knife still in hand, before she resumed her work again, calling over at her coworker:„The pot, (Y/N)."
With an apologetic smile the (H/C) woman jogged back to the stove: „Dinner will be ready in about half an hour. Hope you like pasta."
"I do.", Bucky answered, voice sounding weird in his ears.
She smiled at him again and Bucky asked himself how he could have resisted Steve's offer solong.

The first few weeks went by fast. Bucky settled in slowly. In the first few days he seldom left his room alone, always waiting for Steve to come get him. He didn't talk much to the others and seeing as almost everyone knew at least part of his backstory, the team didn't pressure him. Sam was annoying most of the time, but they got along fine. Bucky liked Clint, surprisingly, and if Steve couldn't train with him Nat was the next best partner. Tony and Bruce spent most of their time in the lab, working away at new inventions, so Bucky seldom got to talk to them outside of mealtime, which the team always spent together (as ordered by (Y/N) as he learned). He hadn't met Thor yet, as the god was still in Asgard, but he had heard a lot about him already. Wanda and Vision were nice, but nearly as quiet as himself, so he hadn't talked to them a lot. And then there was (Y/N)... He wanted to talk to her, he really did. But everytime they were in the same room his brain seemed to shortcircuit and he forgot how to talk properly. She tried her best to start conversations with him, but they never went far. Sam and Steve, who had long noticed this, had started to tease him about it relentlessly. Other than that life at the compound was good... if it weren't for the nightmares. He had had them ever since he had left Hydra and they kept him awake most nights.
Just like this night. He had awoken after just a few hours of sleep, covered in sweat, breathing hard, his sheets a mess. The dream was only a faint memory, but it was enough to keep his heart beating faster than normal. It was three in the morning and the rest of the compound was asleep. The quiet only made his anxiety worse, so the supersoldier decided to go to the living room and watch some TV, which often calmed him down again.
Bucky was surprised, when he found the living room already occupied, illuminated by the glow of the TV. (Y/N) was sitting on the couch, watching some series and eating popcorn. She didn't even notice him entering and for a short moment he thought about leaving her alone again. But just as he was about to do just so, she turned around and saw him.
„Bucky?", she asked surprised.
„Hey,(Y/N).", he answered shyly.
She turned off the volume: „What are you doing up? Was the TV too loud?"
Bucky shook his head:„No, no. I... I just couldn't sleep."
He didn't want to talk about the nightmares. Partly because he didn't want to think about them again and partly because he didn't want (Y/N) to be afraid of him, or worse... hate him for all the things he had done that haunted him now.
(Y/N) nodded, a smile playing on her lips, not even thinking about asking further: „Same here. Want to watch a movie together?"
She patted the spot next to her on the sofa. Bucky's stomach turned sommersaults as a warm feeling spread through his chest. He nodded, tongue tied, and moved to sit down next to her.
„So? Any requests?" - „Not really. I don't know a lot of movies."
(Y/N) hummed: „Right...Let me think... Ah! Steve said you read 'Lord of the Rings', right?"
Bucky nodded, cheeks growing hot as he realized that his friend had talked about him to her: „When it came out."
„Watched the movies?", (Y/N) asked smiling.
„There are movies?"
She laughed the sweetest laugh Bucky had ever heard before: „Yes and you're going to love them."
(Y/N), already decided that they had to watch them now, turned towards the TV, selecting the first movie with a wide grin on her face and Bucky thought to himself, watching her intently: 'Not just them...'