A few days later, Gwen came down to breakfast late. She was dressed haphazardly in baggy clothes that likely weren't actually hers and nothing on her feet, which wasn't atypical. Her cheeks were bright red with fever, her eyes glazed.
Bucky had knocked on her door earlier that morning to offer to walk to breakfasts with her, but had gotten no answer. He'd assumed she'd already left for breakfast, maybe with an early shift in the medbay, but he'd been clearly wrong. He stood from his breakfast and rushed over to her in an instant. "Gwen? What's wrong?"
She looked up at him confused and dazed. "I'm alright," she lied defiantly, insistently. She was clearly lying, clearly fevered and unwell.
Bucky laughed nervously, trying to ease her fear of telling him what was actually wrong. "No babe, you're not. You're walking crooked, over heating, and not looking like yourself," he insisted gently
She mewed softly. "I have a shift in the medbay," she insisted, persisting though she was clearly ill. Hydra would never let her shirk her duties, no matter what day of the month it was or how sick she was. She didn't understand the concept now.
Bucky looked at her sternly. " You're going to the medbay, yes. But you're going as a patient." He informed her in alpha voice and picked her up before she could complain. She squeaked weakly in his arms, but couldn't struggle free if she'd wanted to. Bucky took her to the medbay and laid her in one of the beds before he stepped out into the hall to call for Loki.
"I'm fine," Gwen protested in a weak whimper, but she wasn't strong enough to fight him when he laid her in the bed or get back up from where he'd put her.
Bucky felt safe leaving her for a couple of minutes, long enough to track down Loki if he had to and make him fix Gwen. It was amazing that he trusted the god with such a task.
Loki materialized in front of Bucky a moment later. "What is it, soldier?" He asked, curious as to why he was summoned.
Bucky breathed a sigh of relief that Loki appeared so quickly to help him. He really was a good friend, even if he could be an ass. "I'm convinced that something is wrong with Gwen and I'm guessing it's to do with her wolf nature. Would you have any idea what's wrong?"
Loki looked at the overheated exhausted creature in the bed and rolled his eyes. "It's the day of the full moon," he told Bucky like that was obvious.
Reality dawned on Bucky at Loki's words. He thanked Loki then shooed off the staff. He picked up Gwen and cuddled her against his chest as he carried her to his room. Gwen whimpered, laying her head on Bucky's shoulder as he insisted on carrying her despite her protests that she was fine. Bucky passed by Steve on his way upstairs. "Steve, mark Gwen and I both unavailable for any missions. She's going to turn after sunset. And I'll be with her."
Steve nodded, having expected this. "Of course," he'd already marked Gwen as unavailable after sunset. She hadn't mentioned she couldn't work the morning shift or he would've never scheduled her. "Let us know if you need help." None of them knew what to expect as Gwen hadn't been helpful on that particular point.
Bucky thanked him, then carried her to his room. Rocking her gently in his arms to try to keep her calm. She mewed softly and he could feel the heat radiating off of her as she whimpered in his arms.
"I know you change soon, but you didn't tell me about this happening. What is it, how do I help you?" Bucky asked her, desperate to help, desperate to make her feel better.
"Moon fever," she told him softly. " I'm fine," she tried to insist, sounding distressed. She'd be beaten or worse if she didn't do her duties. Bucky held her tightly so she couldn't squirm out of his arms and tried to make a nest of the blankets for her. He'd read that omega werewolves needed nests of pillows and blankets to be happy. "I have work," she tried again to protest softly, but he'd made her a nest and it looked so inviting and she couldn't take her eyes off it, or stop the wistful whine at it. The sounds she was making broke Bucky's heart. She was in so much pain, exhausted, and fevered. She couldn't fight anymore and curled herself in the nest he'd provided her. He helped to undress her, since she was sweating and clawing at her layers. She seemed to settle when she was down to the skimpy tank top and panties, snuggled in her nest of blankets.
Bucky rubbed her back and massaged her wolf ears, trying anything to calm her. She purred softly and finally relaxed, though was still fevered and dazed. She was so warm to the touch, even to Bucky. "What happened during your previous full moons?"
"Hydra made us work every day or they'd beat us or worse," she mewed, not answering his question besides why she hadn't told anyone she wasn't feeling well
"No beating will happen to you, here," he promised
"They wouldn't accept moon fever as an excuse"
"Hydra doesn't control you anymore," he reminded her, knowing she was dazed to be so confused.
She nodded with a whimper and reached for his hand, not his flesh one as usual, but the cold metal one and pressed it to her head, letting it steal her heat. She purred in relief and was half-asleep in moments. Bucky still wanted to make her feel better and pressed her again for what the symptoms were so he could help. "Fever, pain, nausea, bone numbing exhaustion," she murmured.
Bucky got up, leaving her only to get ice packs and a huge bag of ice. She was mostly asleep by the time he returned, having stolen a couple of pillows to add to her blanket nest. She cracked her eyes open with a soft mew of question when he returned. He gave her a gentle smile and put one of the ice packs to her forehead and started packing the others around her. She sighed in blissful relief when the ice packs were placed and fell asleep with a soft content smile.
Bucky curled up behind her, spooning her form and making sure she stayed in bed where she belonged. She relaxed back into him with a soft purr, letting him take care of and protect her
She woke around noon and sat up with glassy eyes and the silly little thing tried to climb out of the nest. Luckily, Bucky's metal arm over her kept her pinned in the nest where she belonged. She mewed softly and squirmed ineffectively against him. He had stripped before joining her earlier. Her squirming was getting to him. She finally turned and looked at him, and was so uninterested in sex in this state that she didn't notice his erection.
"Is there anything to eat?" She asked him in a small voice instead.
Bucky felt sheepish. He got sweats on and left to get her brownies and steak after making her promise to stay and wait for him. She consented to doze in her nest of blankets while he went to provide for her.
Loki smirked at Bucky in the cafeteria when he spotted his friend. "One sick little werewolf getting to you?" He teased his friend mercilessly.
Bucky was too tired to growl at the god. "It's not her fault. And I don't make her do anything."
Loki chuckled and glanced at Bucky's plate. "You may want to add another one of those nearly rare steaks. She needs the protein and on the day of the full moon would probably choose that more... feral...option" the god was also lucky that Bucky hadn't remembered Loki was a person-shaped ice pack.
Bucky smiled. "Thanks for the recommendation, I assumed it was similar to when women are on their... cycles. My sisters always wanted chocolate." Bucky patted his friends arm. "Damn you should avoid her, she'll wrap around you like a flagpole."
Loki shrugged at the comparison to females going into season. "Similar" he agreed. Then raised an eyebrow. "Is the fever that bad?" He'd been coerced to help in the medbay on occasion with fevers that wouldn't go down. Most notably the last time Wanda had been sick. "I took two large ice packs that are supposed to be 8-12 hrs in a cooler, its been about 5 hours since this morning."
Loki frowned. "Do you wish for me to take a look?" He wasn't a full healer, but he had the basics, his mother had insisted upon it.
Bucky was surprised by his offer. "She's barely dressed. Let me ask her first." Bucky took her food and asked Gwen if she wanted Loki to help.
Loki shrugged and turned to Lady Loki as they walked upstairs. She smirked at Bucky and though Lady Loki appeared much less intimidating, Bucky was still not used to the female version. Loki giggled "Every time" she said at Bucky's surprised look.
Bucky shrugged. "I'm sorry, just your face looks similar, but the rest is different. You're shorter than me too."
Loki shrugged and giggled. "Yes, but most find this form less intimidating. And will reassure your delicate sensibilities that I'm not after your girl no matter what she may or may not be wearing. And as I have no gender I don't care which form I take at any given time," she told him.
Again Bucky smiled. "Sorry. I don't think she'd mean to, but if your popsicle was what she wanted because of its lack of warmth... I'd lose it."
Loki rolled her eyes. "If she's as sick as you're worrying, I doubt she'd be interested in anything of the sort,"
Bucky looked down. "Sorry. Human women are sometimes horny during their cycles."
Loki raised an eyebrow as she stored that piece of information away. She shrugged "It doesn't bother me to be in female form and we know the little werewolf isn't interested in women,"
Bucky nodded and let lady Loki into the room where the poor little omega was curled in her nest, whimpering softly. Loki went to her with a gentleness no one ever saw from the god. "Poor little thing," she soothed. She glared a warning to Bucky before she let the illusion drop from her hand, turning it sapphire before she placed it on Gwen's forehead.
Bucky watched in amazement. "You always said if you touched someone while you're blue, that it can cause Frostbite."
"It can if I am not careful. She has a high enough fever that it should eat through even my cold," Loki explained. Gwen sighed in such relief at the god's cold skin. Loki moved her hand to the back of Gwen's neck for a moment, then her back. When she was done, Gwen sat up and finally had the glassy look gone from her eyes. Bucky was so relieved at the change. "Thank you Loki!" He exclaimed and hugged the goddess.
Loki squeaked in surprise and summoned her illusion back on her hand. "I couldn't let your wolf suffer" Loki replied and vanished before she got hugged again.
Gwen looked at Bucky, her stomach rumbling. "Bucky?" She asks confused.
"Yes, my Gwenie?"
She smiled and blinked a couple of times, clearing her head. "Is that for me?" She asked, indicating the plate he held.
He handed it to her with a nod. "Loki helped," he told her gently
"Loki? But how? Why?" She asked as she took the plate. Her eyes lit up at the meal of steak and brownies and happily dug in.
"He knows more than I do. He has been offering advice here and there. He also likes wolves. And he doesn't mind your company as much as other newbies."
She nods and happily devoured her meal, accepting that answer. She purred contented when her plate was empty before she yawned hugely." It's about 1pm, you've got another few hours before sunset. Is it okay if I stay with you during your change?"
She looked surprised at that. "No one wants to see a werewolf change..." she hedged. It wasn't a pretty sight. She also wasn't sure any of them would like her wolf
"But we're in my room..." he wasn't going anywhere.
She looked shy and nervous "If you really want to see..."
"Yes. I want to understand all I can about you."
She nodded. "Alright then" she agreed, but warily. "Watch a movie with me?" She asked adorably. Bucky nodded and curled around her to enjoy a movie together.
She cuddled in his arms with a purr, enjoying the nice quiet afternoon nestled in his arms in the nest he made for her. She started getting antsy when the sun started to sink and finally stood from the bed, stripping off the last of her clothes as she did Bucky was interested in the change.
She kept her back to him, nervous and shy about being watched. The line of fur appeared down her spine before her body went through the horrific looking change as it rebuilt itself to wolf. When it was finally done, she stretched, shook out her fur, and finally turned to look at him, as a wolf with gray and red fur, smaller than most around the size of a husky. She could pass for a dog if people didn't look too close, and werewolf magic kept people from looking too close.
Bucky was in absolute awe. "Beautiful," he breathed
She tilted her head with a soft whine, confused. Beautiful? She was used to too-small, useless, bad fighter.
"Absolutely beautiful," he clarified.