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Tony woke up to his heart pounding in his chest.
It wasn’t quite a nightmare, or maybe it was. The details slipped through his memory like a fistful of sand now that he was awake, and all he was left with was his racing pulse.
He took a breath. He blinked into focus the array of date, time, and weather that glowed softly from the corner.
4:22 a.m.
He should go back to sleep. That would be a good idea. He should at least try. Sleep. Sleep.
He twisted to the side and saw that Bucky remained fast asleep.
The sheets pooled at Bucky’s waist, tugged down since the super soldier ran warm. Bucky didn’t wear a shirt to sleep in, and the open expanse of Bucky’s back called to him. The skin almost glowed in the dim lights that they left on to try to keep the darkness at bay.
Tony didn’t bother resisting that siren call and reached out to touch. Bucky’s skin was sleep-warm, and Tony ghosted his fingers along the swells and dips. Tony knew the strength of what he felt under his hand, and he knew how capable Bucky was. But there was vulnerability here too, in the curve of Bucky’s spine. Tony swept his hand down that line and came back up the ribs. Bucky was gratifyingly solid under Tony’s touch, and he drew a design across Bucky’s shoulder blades.
“Go the fuck to sleep,” Bucky grumbled into the pillow that he was clutching.
Tony felt a flash of guilt for waking him, but now that it had happened, Tony slid closer. He pressed up against Bucky’s back and lay a kiss on the line that he’d just drawn with his fingers.
“I’ll sleep when I’m dead,” Tony said, his lips speaking directly into the skin of Bucky’s shoulder.
Bucky grunted. He twisted his head, but Tony was hidden from view, curled up behind Bucky’s back as he was.
“Better not be plannin’ on dyin’ anytime soon.”
Tony grinned. “That sounds like a threat.”
“Damn well is.” Bucky snuggled back into the pillow. “Which means you better get to sleepin’ instead.”
Tony laughed softly. He pressed his face against Bucky’s back and breathed, not interesting in figuring out why breathing was so much easier like that.
“Sorry to disturb your beauty sleep.”
“Nah, don’t be,” was all Bucky said.
Tony breathed and let his fingers continue finding new territory to explore on Bucky. He felt when Bucky’s breaths deepened, when Bucky’s body relaxed back into sleep.
Tony was warmed through by the knowledge that he was allowed to have this. It chased away the last lingering chill of his dream, and Tony felt sleep calling for him again.