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It was in the middle of a particularly cold October night when Bucky Barnes finally finished his spontaneous training at the gym of the Avengers Tower. He had been training by himself for hours and was sure that everyone would be asleep by now since it was already 3 am in the morning. For him though it was one of those nights where sleep evaded him once again. By now, the Super Soldier was already used to either waking up in the middle of the night after yet another one of his nightmares about the crimes he had to commit under Hydra's control or not being able to fall asleep in the first place.
Today the latter was the case and rather than keeping his girlfriend awake for no reason he decided to head down to the gym and tried to tire himself out for a few hours. To his own surprise his plan seemed to work to at least some extend since he felt himself getting sleepy the later it got.
Once he was back in your shared room he tried to move as quiet as possible since he knew you were already fast asleep and he didn't want to wake you up. He used the flashlight of his phone and tiptoed over to the dresser where he pulled out some fresh clothes. A slight groan made him freeze though and he slowly glanced over to you rolling over in bed.
When he was sure you didn't wake up from his rummaging through the dresser he slightly smiled at how cute you looked and then made his way into the bathroom to take a shower. The hot water felt good on his sore muscles and he sighed, feeling himself relax for just a moment. After he was done showering he got dressed in a pair of grey sweatpants and a black t-shirt.
Upon entering the bedroom he was relieved when he saw you still sound asleep in your shared bed. You had kicked the sheets off slightly and he could see some of your figure being illuminated by the half-moon that was almost completely hidden by the clouds outside, but still shone bright enough for him to be able to see you. Bucky halted his movements and just looked at you for a moment. Your hair was slightly tousled from turning around in your sleep and your silk nightgown had shifted up your thighs, exposing more than it should have. Seeing you like this reminded him that to him, you were the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes upon.
Bucky walked over to the window and looked outside. This night it was rather stormy and he could hear the wind howling and the rain pouring if he listened closely. In this moment he was glad that he was inside the Avengers Tower with you rather than outside on another mission for Hydra.
The dark haired man then walked over to where you were sleeping and silently sat down at the edge of his side of the bed. He looked over to you and couldn't help himself carefully stroking some of the hair that had fallen in your face back to where it belonged. At his touch you stirred slightly but didn't wake up yet. He smiled slightly. In his mind you were far more than he could've ever wished for and definitely more than he deserved, especially given his past. Although he knew that it wasn't his own decision to commit all these crimes he knew he commited them and in some way still blamed himself for it.
He remembered that when Steve first brought him to the tower most of the people there were suspicious of Bucky joining the team and if he was being honest with himself he could understand why they might see him as a threat rather than someone who wanted to turn his life around. You however never once looked at him like he could be a threat to the team.
You had been a member of the team ever since the Avengers were formed in the wake of Loki's attack on New York in 2012 and formed a friendship with Steve over the years. You trusted his judgement and when he said that Bucky wouldn't be a threat to all of you, you believed him. In fact, you had been one of the few people who made him feel welcomed to the team and Bucky had fallen in love with you rather quickly. Bucky however wasn't sure how or if he should say anything. In the end it was Steve who convinced him to take you out and now here you were, curled up in your shared bed.
The Super Soldier carefully laid down and wrapped his arms around you, bringing your back closer to his chest, and inhaled your scent. Although he was careful not to wake you up the sudden additional warmth and stirring around your body woke you from your peaceful slumber.
"Bucky?" you softly asked into the dark. "Shh doll, it's me. You can go back to sleep," he whispered while planting a soft kiss against your neck. You of course knew about Bucky's inability to sleep sometimes and didn't even think about going back to sleep without making sure he was okay.
"Have you been up until now?" you asked with a concerned tone in your voice and turned around to face him. He caressed your face as gently as he could with his metal fingers and replied, "Don't worry about it. I'm okay, just couldn't sleep again is all," your boyfriend answered truthfully. After this confession you kissed him softly on the lips.
As soon as Bucky felt your lips on his he melted into you, kissing you back just as softly and with a hint of desperation. Once you two pulled apart you had a sudden idea. "How about I turn on some of your old music?" you asked him with a smile. Sometimes, old music from the 40s helped Bucky to calm down and fall asleep since it reminded him of a more carefree time. "I would love that," he replied with a soft smile and kissed your forehead.
You giggled slightly, took your smartphone from the nightstand and got up. Then you connected your phone to the speakers you had in your room and opened one of the playlists you made for Bucky on Spotify. Once the room was filled with the sound of old jazz music you walked back to the bed and laid back down. The Super Soldier immediately took you into his arms and peppered your neck with soft kisses before nuzzling his face into it. "Thank you, doll. I love you," he whispered softly and closed his eyes. "I love you too you, Buck," you answered and sighed contently while melting into his arms. While he was falling asleep, the only thing Bucky could think about was how lucky he was to have found you and that he would do everything he could to protect you.