Fire and Ice - (Bucky Barnes x OC) 18+

Chapter 38

Alex felt a hand gently grasp her shoulder, she spun with a fist launched in attack. Bucky lurched to the side, catching her wrist.

"Hey—hey it's okay, it's me," He re-assured when her eyes widened in recognition. She pulled her hand free and took a step back. He held both his hands up in surrender. Bucky tilted his head slightly and assured, using a soft voice. 

"Easy, it's just me,"

"Oh my god i'm so sorry, i didn't hear you-i didn't know-i—"

"Breathe, doll. It's okay," He noticed her eyes glistening.

"What-what are you doing here?"

"I couldn't sleep, so i went to check on you and saw your door open." He replied. "Figured you went for a walk, and when i felt the breeze down the hallway i knew you were out here."

Alex nodded, mindlessly hugging herself as she looked away. The angle made the moonlight shine on her cheek, showing the tear streaks.

"I uhm, i couldn't sleep either," she confessed, bringing her gaze back to him. His eyes softened and he held his arms open wide. 

"Come here, please let me hold you,"

She shook her head. "I'm fine, really...I don't want to hurt you..."

To say his heart didn't crush inside his chest at those words would've been a lie. Bucky had been this way before, pushing people away, pushing her away. Now she was the one doing it wether she realised it or not.

"You won't hurt me—you could never," He said, and before she knew it, his arms were around her. Alex pressed the side of her face against his chest, arms slowly curling around his waist. She needed him more than he knew. But the thing was, he knew, and it was impossible to explain how.

"I'm here, i've got you," He kissed the top of her head, keeping her in his snug and safe embrace. There was so much more buried beneath the surface of her soft gaze that he wished he could ease all her pain.

"How about we go inside," he suggested softly. Alex nodded, feeling the cold bite at her feet now that she'd been out there for a decent amount of time.

Bucky held her hand and guided her inside, stopping only to make sure the door was closed, and locked before they headed upstairs to her room. He gently kicked the door closed with his heel then helped her back into bed. When he laid down beside her, she snuggled close to him, feeling safe in his arms.

"I'm not going anywhere," He said, arms wrapping a little tighter to prove his words. She sighed at the feeling of his warmth. Bucky ran hot most of the time due to the super soldier serum. While he could still get cold, he ran high on heat and she loved it, it was like her own personal heater. He played with her hair, stroking fingers across her scalp in a soothing way. 

"Wanna talk about it?" He asked.

"Not really.."

"Y'know i'm not going to push you, Alex—but you need to talk to me...or Tony if you don't want to share it with me," he said. Bucky knew she'd shared so much with her brother, that talking about trauma was easy between the siblings. They were always leaning on each other supportively.

"You need to talk about what happened because keeping it inside isn't going to help you—trust me, i would know."

Alex knew he was right, but she didn't want to talk about it right now. All she wanted to do was bask in his close proximity and calming touch.

"I will, just...not now," she said, scratching at his t-shirt. He sighed, kissing the top of her head. Bucky wanted her to talk to him more than anything because he could relate, he knew what Pierce had been capable of. It didn't take long before he heard Alex's steady breathing signalling she'd fallen asleep.