Winter (A Bucky Barnes recovery story)

5. Apartment

Natasha pulls Steve into his room. "I suggest we get him an apartment near you. Probably like across the street or so. We can give him a choice next to you or across the street. We'll have to tell Nick of course but-" Steve cuts her off.

"Nat. Hang on. Can we call Nick when he wakes up just so we can at least let Bucky know." Steve pleas, Natasha nods and looks out the door at Bucky who was sprawled out on the couch, snoring softly. She can't help the half smile that spreads across her face.

"Okay. We can tell Bucky when he wakes." She looks at Steve and sighs.

"Thank you. Can I get you anything? coffee, breakfast?" he asks stepping out of the room. she follows him into the kitchen and nods.

"Coffee would be nice." He nods and pulls out a pair of mugs, he puts the coffee on. When it finishes he pours it and then they drink. It's barely half an hour later before Bucky starts to mumble something in his sleep.

Steve looks over the couch at Bucky and then looks to Natasha. "What's he saying?"

She shrugs. "I don't know. It almost sounds... Russian." she watches Bucky quietly, a concerned look on her face.

"Do you think he's having a nightmare?" Steve says, as Bucky begins to claw at the air and kick in the sheets.

"Yeah. We should wake him." She stands and walks over to him. "Bucky." She whispers. He cries out again and covers his face with his arms.

"Bucky come on, wake up. It's just a bad dream." Steve says softly, pulling his arms away from his face. Bucky tries to jerk away.

"James." Natasha says, shaking him. He sits up suddenly, his eyes wide with fear. He pants covered in sweat.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to... I didn't... I couldn't... I." He gives up his search for words.

"What's he saying?" Steve asks, unable to understand because Bucky is speaking in Russian.

"It's okay. It's fine. Just calm down James." Nat replies to Bucky in Russian. She turns to Steve an says in English, "He's apologizing. It's okay he's just confused." Steve nods quietly.

"Are you hungry?" she asks Bucky in English.

"Uhm... Uh... yeah." He says in English, Steve looks at him relieved.

"What would you like to eat Buck?" Steve asks standing, Bucky shrugs.

"Are you okay?" Natasha asks him softly, looking him directly in the eye. Bucky nods and looks down at his lap where Natasha was holding his hands.

"Does toast sound good?" Steve calls from the kitchen. Bucky nods but then realizing Steve can't see him he calls out a quiet yes.

"So James. We wanted to tell you that we do have to notify the fact that you are here to Fury. And then we hope to get you an apartment nearby. what do you think about that?" Natasha asks cautiously, he looks at her silently then shakes his head.

"But I don't have the money." he mutters, looking down at his hands.

"That's okay we'll take care of that." She replies, Steve comes in and hands Bucky a plate with toast.

"Thank you. I can't ask you to do that though." He takes a bite of the toast.

"Yes you can Buck. We'd feel better knowing you're safe and close, rather than out on the streets exposed, freezing to death and starving." Steve says sternly.

"I don't really have a choice. Do I?" he replies defeated.

"Not really no." Natasha says, "It's inevitable."

"Fine. Okay." He goes back to silently eating his toast.

"Thank you." Steve says to him.

"I'll call Fury." She stands pulling out her cell. Steve nods and follows her into the kitchen.

Bucky stares at the rest of his toast trying not to show how truly shaken he is by his dream. He turns to look at Steve and Natasha who stood together in the kitchen. Steve is leaning close enough so that he can hear what's being said.

They end the call and come back in to the room. Natasha sits down on the chair next to him while Steve sits in the one across from him. He finishes his toast quietly.

"Nick said it is possible to find you an apartment, and we wanted to give you a choice of here in this complex or directly across the street?" Natasha says, breaking the silence. Bucky stares at the plate in his lap quietly.

"Buck?" Steve says, he stands and takes Bucky's plate.

"Can... could... across the street." he says quietly. He looks up at Natasha, she nods.

"Of course. Steve can you grab an ice pack."

Steve comes back in with an ice pack, he hands it to Bucky and watches as Bucky slowly puts it on his cheek.