Lost And Found

Part Two

The past couple of nights you had let Bucky sleep in your room, you bunking with Ethan while you guys waited for the pull out couch you ordered to arrive. At first Bucky was cautious. He couldn't find it in himself to let his guard down. He didn't want to put you out when he didn't even think he'd be getting any sleep.

Oh how wrong he was. As soon as he stepped into your room, he felt the tension leave his body. Your bedroom was the definition of cozy. Warm tones everywhere, tons of blankets and pillows on the bed, a sweet scented candle burning. It was comforting, and for somebody like Bucky, who had been mistreated for years, comfort was just what he needed.

So he got into your bed that first night, pulled the thick blanket right up to his chin and closed his eyes. And before he knew it, he was out.

Of course he couldn't sleep through the night. Memories, both good and bad would wake him up and he'd take some deep breaths to calm himself before eventually wandering out to the living room. That's usually where you'd be. Every night without fail Bucky would walk out to you sitting on the couch, doing work. Taking free classes online, that's what you had told him that first night.

Usually, he would just sit across the room, staring out the window as you typed on your laptop. Whenever you were done with what you were doing, you would turn to Bucky and ask if he wanted to talk. Sometimes he did, most times he didn't. Regardless of his answer, you'd always click on one of your playlists and listen to music together, the songs on a low volume so as not to wake your family. Eventually, when you couldn't keep your head upright anymore, you'd bid Bucky good night before going back to bed. Only to run into each other again the following night.

Your late night rendezvous apart, Bucky was surprised with how easy it was for him to get comfortable staying with your family. This was only his fifth day there, but it was also his fifth night in a row that he hadn't woken up disoriented or scared, not knowing where he was or what was going to happen to him.

He didn't know if it was because the family that took him in, your family was nice to him, or because he had been sleeping in your room and the sweet scent of your perfume lingered in the air. What he did know, was that for the first time in years, he felt warm; he felt safe. And that scared him very much.

He kept thinking that this was a bad idea, that once you found out who he was you would call the police on him. Or worse, someone else would recognize him and Hydra would come, killing you all before taking him away again. Yet he refused to leave.

Bucky knew he was being selfish, but he couldn't find it in him to care. He wasn't ready to walk away from all this, to leave all of this behind. He wasn't ready to give up warm beds, or omelets for breakfast or...you.

Bucky loved being around you. You were such a joker, always making people laugh; and he appreciated that whenever things got too tense, or he didn't know how to answer a question, you were quick to make a joke to pull everyone's attention elsewhere. He loved how every night before bed, you looked over Ethan's homework and always congratulated him on a job well done. He saw you sneakily hand him an action figure your dad said he wouldn't buy him and Bucky's heart melted then and there. He was sure of it. You were silly but also kind, laid back but smart. You were curious about him. Of course you were, who wouldn't be? But you never pushed him. You took what little he could give you and went about your day.

The day the pullout finally arrived was bittersweet for Bucky. On one hand, he didn't want to leave the comfort of your room. On the other hand, this meant he was having his own space set up for him in the basement, and that made him smile. He had never had anything of his own. Not in a very long time. Coming down the steps, and seeing the pullout couch, with some blankets stacked on top, he was nervous. The basement was big and spacious, but it was also dark. Dark and cold and scary. It reminded him too much of his cell with Hydra even if it looked nothing like it.