Work Text:
Bucky wakes up and checks his phone. He knows he probably shouldn’t, something about the light waking him up, but he can’t help it. When he notices the time, though, he wishes he hadn’t looked. 3 AM. Definitely much too early for any human being to be awake. He groans. Softly, so he doesn’t wake up Steve. Then he closes his eyes, fully intending to go back to sleep.
It’s not working. He lets out a deep sigh and checks his phone again. 3.10 AM. Still too early. He thinks about doing one of the mindfulness exercises his therapist taught him. Maybe that will help… He barely gets two seconds into the exercise before his mind wanders off. He turns around because staring at the ceiling certainly isn’t helping. Except now he is lying on his metal arm and that’s not exactly a comfortable position to be in. He shifts again so he’s back on his back. Staring at the ceiling it is then, he thinks.
There’s a tiny crack in the paint. Maybe he needs to fix that… after all, he wants his best guy to have the best home possible. He unlocks his phone to make a note. Then he sees Natasha has texted him a picture of Liho her cat. She clearly can’t sleep either. He replies with a long row of heart emojis and a thumbs up. He wants a cat too. He wonders if Steve would like that. Usually, he lets Bucky have whatever he desires - within reason of course - but a cat is a big deal. He makes another note, this time to remind himself to ask Steve what he thinks about cats. He glances at the time. 3.45 AM. He sighs again. Next to him Steve stirs.
“You okay, Buck?” he asks, his voice a little raspy.
“Can’t sleep,” Bucky mutters. Then, “Sorry I woke you up.”
“‘S okay,” Steve says easily. “Just put your phone away and come here,” he opens his arms widely.
Bucky puts his phone on the nightstand and rolls into Steve’s waiting arms. Steve closes his arms around Bucky. The pressure and the warmth helps. But what helps even more is the fact that these are Steve’s arms wrapped around his body.
Steve gently rubs his back, right on that spot that is always a little tender. And all the while he talks about all the things he likes about Bucky and their life together, including but not limited to going grocery shopping with Bucky, the way Bucky sings along to all of his favourite bands, and the new sketchbook he bought Steve the other day. It’s not that they share every moment together, Steve says, but almost all of his best moments are when he is with Bucky. Steve talks about fate and the stars and how he believes they are meant to be.
Bucky doesn’t know at what time he finally falls asleep again but he knows he sleeps soundly in Steve’s arms. After all, this is where he is meant to be.