A Place for You & Me ・Bucky Barnes

rainy day

They eat their breakfast and decide to sit in the living room afterwards. Since it was going to rain all day, Zoe just wanted to relax and hang out. James had a chess board, and they played a few games-- James won every last one. 

"I can't believe you. You lied to me, you said you weren't good!"

"At least I thought I wasn't."

"Or maybe I just suck. Ew." Zoe pouts and James laughs, giving a big yawn after. 

"Sorry, this rain is making me tired."

"Yeah, me too. You should get some rest. We were out pretty late and you didn't sleep well."

"I don't want to spoil your day, you wanted to hang out."

"You're not spoiling it. I could use a nap myself." 

James pauses a moment. "Do you wanna take a nap.. with.. um" He scratches his head shyly. 

"Are you asking if I want to take a nap?"

"Yes, yeah." He exhales. 

"With you?" She adds quietly. 

"Um, yes? If you want." He seems embarrassed. Zoe giggles slightly. 

"Yes. I do. But only in your bed, I can't sleep on the floor."

James laughs dryly. "Yeah, no, of course not." 

He gets up and leads Zoe into his room. It was quiet and untouched. The blinds were open, letting in the little light there was from all the rain. It was perfect weather to lull Zoe to sleep. She climbs in on one side of the bed, slipping under the covers. James does the same. After James gets settled, Zoe turns to face him. He turns to her and their eyes meet for a moment and she plants a kiss on his cheek. 

"Sweet dreams, James."

"Sweet dreams."

Zoe turns back over and falls fast asleep. It takes James a while, and he hears a light snoring coming from Zoe. He smiles and soon falls asleep. 

~

Though it was a nap, his mind raced while he slept, ultimately leading to the beginnings of a nightmare. He shifted and groaned in his sleep, waking Zoe. She saw the tenseness of his arms, but dared not touch him for fear of startling him. He calmed down after a few minutes, but began to shift again. His breathing became rapid and he began to murmur undetectable words. Against her judgement, she touched his arm gently. 

"James," she whispered. 

He continued. Zoe applied a little more pressure to her touch and said his name again. 

"James, wake up."

His eyes shot open and he sat up abruptly, breathing heavily. He took a few moments and noticed Zoe. 

"Zoe, did I hurt you?"

"No, not at all." She touched his arm again to reassure him. James groaned and put his head in his hands, sighing. Zoe didn't know what to do, what to say. She ended up putting her head on his shoulder. 

"I'm sorry," he whispered. Zoe lifted her head and looked at him.

"Why are you sorry? It was just a nightmare."

"I know, but I ruined your sleep."

"No, you didn't." She takes his hands away from his face and sees the tears that fell silently from his eyes. She wipes them away and leaves her hands on his cheeks. "James, look at me."

He raises his eyes to hers slowly.

"You didn't ruin anything." She kisses his forehead and he closes his eyes. 

"How long did we sleep for?"

Zoe checks her phone. "Almost two hours."

"Not too bad, I guess." He sighs again and lays back on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Zoe watches him, his chest rising and falling. The rain pats against the window and she looks out, watching the small droplets dance on the glass. 

James turns his head to her and sees her watching the rain. He grabs her hand, pulling her closer to him. Zoe follows, James sits up, his back against the wall and Zoe sits next to him. He places his hand on her face, noticing how soft her lips looked. Zoe sees his gaze and leans in. James meets her and places a kiss on her lips. They part briefly, leaving an electrified space between their lips. 

"Zoe?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you." James looks deep into her eyes. Zoe smiles.

"I love you, too."

Their lips meet again, full of hope, full of love. 

The rain continues to pour.

James indeed had sunshine on a cloudy day.