Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes Oneshots

Awaken - Bucky Barnes x Reader

Hey there!

I know I've been writing a lot of Bucky lately but I'm going through a Bucky phase so sorry! Haha.

This is angst mainly but there's also a lot of fluff. This includes sleep paralysis so read at your own risk! Happy reading!

1,208 words

Forehead glistening with a thin layer of sweat, the mediocre bedding thrown to the right side of the bed, and fists clenching the fitted sheet beneath you, your body weight shifted ominously, mind and, in a way, body trapped in a seemingly never-ending nightmare. With less than thirty seconds remaining before you awoke abruptly from your incubus, you could only feel the rapid thumping of your heart as it pumped blood into your veins, and your throat outwardly closing up.

You couldn’t breathe. It felt as if someone had just stolen the only oxygen left and you couldn’t satisfy your screaming lungs. The lump enclosed in your lower esophagus building with ushered tears as images of horror flashed right before your eyes.

You didn’t believe anyone when they told you that sleep paralysis was one of the scariest things to experience, and you began regretting listening to them. The poor people were only trying to help, unknowingly triggering something inside of you. The fear built up so high that you hardly escaped a panic attack. You were trapped and panicking and the only coherent thing flashing through your brain was your wish for Bucky to wake up and pull you from your paralysis.

Hot tears streamed down your cheeks and you could feel everything that was happening to you in the real world. But you were unable to take control of your mind and body, left in your own suffering as you waited for something to happen. Anything. Because anything would be better than this.

Using everything in your strength and power to yank yourself from never-ending terror, you felt reality hit you like a freight train, as you were pulled from your conscious sleep. You focused on the cold air of the bedroom brushing against your bare skin, the material of the sheets that rested underneath your legs and in your closed fists, and the soft breathing of your beloved beside you.

And that’s what pulled you from the fire.

Inhaling deeper than you thought possible, you shot up in bed, clutching at your throat as a few excess tears fell from your lower eyelids. Your lip trembled and your knuckles were white from clutching the sheets, but you were awake.

There was an unfamiliar feeling in the pit of your stomach. It was fear, but relief at the same time. Fear of what just happened to you, and relief that you had escaped from probably the scariest thing to ever happen to you.

Your eyes immediately drifted to the wedding ring of your left ring finger, subconsciously twisting the band around your finger as your gaze shifted to your husband, asleep beside you. Your heart pinged and a fresh wave of tears overcame you. You wished he was awake, holding you and hushing you softly, rocking you back and forth. But he needed his rest and you weren’t about to take that from him.

Your heart ached for him, but it was be so unbelievably selfish for you to wake him from his much-needed rest and tell him you were scared. That it was the scariest thing to ever happen to you, because he had been through so much more. It wasn’t fair to him.

You swallowed thickly and very carefully laced your fingers with his flesh ones, because it was the hand closest to you. You squeezed his hand ever so gently because you needed him. You held his hand as sobs racked your body. You felt your heart sink upon thinking of the look on Bucky’s face when he would realize how selfish you were. And you wouldn’t try arguing about it, because he would be one-hundred-percent correct.

Another round of tears came and went before you felt Bucky’s fingers twist and felt his body shift on the bed. You tried silencing you wails, hoping he was just moving in his sleep, but your heart leapt with joy and sunk in regret all at once. You had awakened him from his slumber.

“Doll?” His voice was thick with sleep as he pushed himself up in a sitting position and turned towards you. As soon as he saw your tears, his temperament changed. “Babydoll, what’s wrong?”

When you didn’t respond he became worried. You just sat in the same position in silence. That is, until another wave of tears crashed over you. But this time, you didn’t silence your cries.

Bucky was quick to pull you into his arms and hold you to him tightly. “It’s okay, Baby, ’m right here. Right here.”

“B-Bucky.” Your voice cracked and was murmured in a higher tone than your normal voice, making Bucky’s heart shatter into a million tiny shards of glass.

“I know, sweetheart, I know.” He peppered kisses along your shoulder as he hushed you softly, gently running his fingers through your (H/C) locks. “What happened?”

You released a shuddered breath and pulled away from him but only barely. You began speaking with your forehead shoved into his left shoulder. “I… sleep paralysis.”

Bucky pulled away and gazed at you with wide eyes. “Has it ever happened to you before?” He asked, his tone soft and quiet to avoid startling you. You were already tender, and he wanted to try everything in his power to get you comfortable and happy again, whatever that may be.

You shook your head lowly and swallowed the lump in your throat. “N-no. That’s wh-why I’m sc-scared.”

“Baby, why didn’t you wake me up?”

You looked up in shock, confusion flickering in your eyes as you gazed into his blue-gray irises.

“We talked about this.” He took your hand in both of his and held it close to his body. “Doll, you can wake me up anytime you need to.”

“I don’t… You need rest, Bucky. You have trouble sleeping as it is.”

“You’re more important to me than sleep, (Y/N).”

His words warmed your heart and you tried holding back the smile that threatened to grace your fatigued features. Blush crept up the back of your neck and you lowered your gaze with a tiny smile tugging at the corners of your mouth.

“I sleep much better with you here anyway.” Bucky lifted your head with the tip of his finger gently and leaned in slowly, pressing the softest kiss to your lips before pulling you into a hug once more.

“Really?”

Bucky nodded and you smiled. “Back to bed?”

You hesitated for a few seconds, worried you wound fall into the trap of sleep paralysis again before Bucky kissed your crown and tucked a stray piece of hair behind your ear.

“It’s okay, Doll. I’ll stay with you the entire time.”

You nodded and let him pull you down. Your head landed on Bucky’s plump pillow and you wrapped your arms around his neck and planted your chin on his left shoulder, wrapping your legs around his waist and smiling when you felt him wrap both arms around your waist.

“I got you, Baby.” He mumbled softly and you only pulled him closer in response.

“Love you, Buck.”

“Love you too.”

You fell asleep to Bucky playing with the ends of your hair and him humming your favorite song. You were never to suffer from sleep paralysis again.