Welcome To The New Age: Bucky/Avengers Fanfiction

Chapter 19

After an unhealthy serving of rich chocolate cake, Bucky was full to the point of bursting. They waddled onto the train, feeling lethargic, and flopped down. They'd somehow managed to make their way across the whole city over the course of the day, so it was going to be quite a ride.

It was dim in the car, with only the dull yellow lights illuminating the car. Bucky fell asleep almost immediately, letting his head fall onto Steve's shoulder. Steve was so careful not to move, not wanting to ruin the precious moment. His heart was beating a little faster than normal. Should he put his arm around Bucky? Hold his hand? Steve pondered whether he should make a move for a bit, all the while watching the calm, rhythmic movements of Bucky's chest which lay pressed against his arm. His feet were twitching in his sleep. Steve wondered what was going on in his dreams. He was just desperately hoping that it wasn't a nightmare.

When Bucky had nightmares, he was no longer Bucky when he woke up. He changed back into the monster he was previously, the Winter Soldier. Every time he would have one at home, Steve would protect him from the demons inside and hold him until he calmed down and fell back asleep. Bucky never remembered when Steve did this, he didn't remember anything when he turned back into the Winter Soldier.

But Steve remembered the fits all too well. There was thrashing, threats, anger and fear all around. Bucky always fought against Steve. It took all of Steve's strength to keep him there, and eventually, the Winter Soldier would get frustrated and begin to cry. That's how Steve always knew it was over. It meant the weakness and vulnerability were back and it was where the Winter Soldier ended and Bucky Barnes began.

After a few minutes, Bucky seemed to calm down a bit. He was still except for a few content sigh every now and then. He nuzzled his head further and further into Steve's neck and got ever closer. Steve was off in a daydream when the train stopped suddenly. He jolted to the right and instinctively grabbed Bucky and pulled him closer. The lights in the car went out and Steve could hear a small child crying. The power was dead. Steve had overcome a lot of things, but he had never quite gotten over his fear of the dark. Bucky had always been there with a light to help him. Steve leaned down and kissed Bucky's head, which was resting on his chest. He grabbed both the mans hands and held them, squeezing until his knuckles turned white. A man in a suit walked into the car, holding a flashlight. He pointed it around the car, looking at all the passengers to make sure everyone was alright before announcing that it was just a slight power outage and that they'd be back on track in five minutes. Everyone knew that five minutes according to them was at least twenty. They all settled in, pulling out flashlights and phones and sitting wherever they could fit. Steve stroked Bucky's hair absentmindedly, feeling much better now that there was at least a bit of light.

Thirty long minutes later, the power buzzed back on. The train's intercom came on, apologizing for the wait as they moved forward. Just before their stop, Steve untangled his hands from Bucky's and began gently waking him up. Once Bucky's eyes fluttered open, Steve smiled.

"Hey Sleeping Beauty, it's almost our stop." He said.

"Mmmmm how long was I out?" Bucky managed to slur.

"About an hour. There was a little delay, and the power went out." Steve said, catching him up on the ride.

The train screeched to a halt and they grabbed their bags and hurried off. As they emerged from underground, Steve felt an immense sense of relief. He'd been stuck underground for what felt like forever. Bucky was clearly exhausted, so they hurried back to the tower and took the elevator to their floor after exchanging quick greetings with people in the common room.

Upstairs, they threw all Bucky's bags into his room and began sorting them out. They threw in a load of laundry and both passed out in the living room without a care in the world.