Work Text:
Sam stretched out on his stupidly large bed in Zemo's Riga apartment and spent the next five minutes staring at the high ceiling, feeling the expensive sheets below his body. He had to admit, despite all the mission involving the Flag Smashers and the recovery of the shield, those days spent in Eastern Europe were doing wonders for his spine, being able to sleep in a soft but not too soft bed, eat well and to get some rest after the fights.
He sighed and tossed the heavy blankets aside, looking across the bed for Bucky, but seeing only the clean sheets. Stretching his neck a little to see beyond the furniture, Sam sighed heavily as he noticed the sheets on the floor next to a pillow, showing that the other man had spent the whole night, or at least part of it, sleeping on the icy floor of the room. Their relationship was still in its infancy, and sleeping together was a way for Sam to make sure his partner was safe. Beating himself up mentally for not noticing when Bucky moved to the floor overnight, Sam got up and walked over to the giant wardrobe across the room, looking for something to wear over the expensive pajama shirt that Zemo insisted on buying for him. Choosing a sweater and comfortable sweatpants, Sam changed and opened the door to the great room, seeing Bucky stretched out on the sofa with his eyes closed.
"You slept on the floor last night." - It wasn't a question, and Sam noticed Bucky's eyes open immediately and focus on his face.
"Only after midnight." - the "I had a nightmare and I was afraid to tell you" was implied, and Sam made a mental note to have a conversation with the other man after he had a cup of coffee.
Walking through the kitchen, he frowned when he noticed that the coffee was not ready, which could be considered normal if the teapot wasn't also empty. Looking at the wall clock, he noticed that it was after eight in the morning and Zemo had not yet risen. A wave of concern passed over him and he turned to Bucky who was now reading the newspaper and struggling to stay awake.
“Hey, man. Did you see Zemo today? ”- Bucky frowned and got up from the sofa, walking over to the counter waiting for Sam to finish making coffee, but the other man was looking at the other door in the room, Zemo's room, the coffee can still open on the counter.
“He got up earlier today, went to the bathroom and went back to the bedroom. I didn't see him coming out of there again, but I can hear him moving around on the bed, so he didn't run away. ”- Bucky replied while putting water on the stove, helping Sam prepare the much desired coffee. Sam mumbled something and finished the hot drink, pouring a mug for him and Bucky, who yawned and went back to sit on the couch. After a few moments, Sam walked over to Zemo's bedroom door and knocked a few times.
“Hey, Zemo. Are you okay in there? Because if you're trying to escape it won't be cool, man. ”- Sam heard a groan from the inside and frowned, and was ready to enter the room when Zemo's voice, strangely hoarse, answered from inside:
“I'm fine, Sam. I'll be up soon. ”- The man replied and Sam felt a little worry rise in his throat. Zemo was always the first to get up, preparing coffee for them and a cup of floral tea for himself, and it was strange to see the man lying down until later. Sam grunted a confirmation and returned to the living room, taking his own mug full of steaming coffee and going to sit next to Bucky who had already finished drinking and concentrated on staying awake while trying not to sink into the sofa cushions.
"How long have you not slept?" - Sam asked as he took a sip of coffee, the slightly bitter liquid coming down his throat and warming him up. Bucky kept looking forward and mumbled an ‘I’m fine, don’t worry’.
“Bucky, I know you are not fine. How long have you had a good night's sleep? ”- Sam looked him in the eyes and Bucky stared at him with heavy, red eyes.
“I haven't slept well since we left Madripoor. I feel that I have to be always alert and that Walker will appear at any time, and that prevents me from being able to sleep. And before you ask, the nightmares are much less, but I still have some night terrors. I know that I need to sleep, not only because of my mental health but also because I have to be rested to be able to fight. I just ... I can't do it, Sam. ”- Bucky looked at him with teary eyes, anguish making his voice break, and all Sam wanted was to be able to comfort him. Placing the mug still half full on the coffee table, he pulled the super soldier close and hugged him, his lips splashing kisses on Bucky's cheek while the other grabbed his sweater tightly trying to stabilize himself. When he noticed that the soldier had calmed down, Sam pushed him away and wiped away the few tears that stained Bucky's red cheeks, smiling at him.
“Let's do it like this: I'm going to finish my coffee and we can take a nap, okay? I'll stay with you all the time. ”-Bucky let out a slight moan of contention when Sam's fingers went through his hair and laid his head on his shoulder, watching Sam take the mug of warm coffee and it drink again. At that moment their attention had been stolen when Zemo entered the room and the man looked terrible.
Zemo's eyes were opaque and red, his cheeks and nose flushed against the pale skin; he wore old, sweaty pajamas that looked tight on his lean muscles, his hair tousled and shoulders slumped, his skin sweaty sickly. He mumbled a good morning to the couple on the couch and went to the kitchen, starting to prepare tea mechanically. Bucky noticed that his hands were shaking.
"Good morning Zemo, are you okay?" - Sam asked, the mug of coffee now cold again on the table. Zemo turned his head slowly and winced, as if in pain. Hiding the previous reaction, the baron forced himself to stand in a more upright position.
“I'm fine, Samuel. I think I caught a cold, that's all. The temperature change must have affected me. As soon as I take some medication I will be fine. ” - Zemo's voice was weak and he had to lean on the counter when a wave of dizziness hit him hard, causing Sam to rise.
Since landing in Riga, Zemo has proved to be not only a useful ally but also an amazing man. At the first dinner, he sat across from the newly formed couple and apologized for everything. He said he did not regret disbanding the Avengers or ending the Super Soldier Program, but that he felt guilty for using Bucky. For him, the man was a means to an end, but that did not justify the suffering he brought to the Super Soldier. Gradually he was gaining the trust of others, mainly through snacks and expensive gifts and both Sam and Bucky began to feel an immense affection for the baron, which both considered to be reciprocal, if every time Sam praised his food and then make the man blushing was something. That's why Sam was concerned about the sick man in the kitchen.
With determination, Sam walked over to Zemo and took the shaky cup out of his hands. Turning him to face, Falcon placed one hand on his flushed cheek and the other on Zemo's forehead, taking his temperature. The taller man winced when he noticed that the baron was running a fever, but it didn't seem to be that bad. Releasing the other, Sam walked through the kitchen opening the cabinets until he found a can of onion soup. It wasn't the healthiest thing, but it would have to do.
"Why don't you take a shower and wear comfortable pajamas while I prepare the soup, how about it?" - even though he didn't look at him, Zemo knew he was the target of the question and nodded as he left the kitchen and headed towards the kitchen Restroom. After a few minutes, Zemo came out of the bathroom in his famous dark blue robe, the steam from the hot bath sliding across the floor. Sam left the pot on the fire and went into the bedroom, returning from there in sweatpants like his and one of Bucky's cotton shirts. Zemo went back to his own room and dressed there, the clothes almost swallowing him completely. Sam waved to the couch and Zemo collapsed next to Bucky, who had fallen asleep again.
“I know you have a fever. Are you feeling anything else? Any pain or discomfort? Maybe nausea? ”- Sam asked as he poured the soup into two bowls; he himself was not hungry.
“My throat and head hurt. My body is tired and I think one of my nostrils is clogged, and my eyes hurt. ”- he sniffed and Sam sat in front of the pair, placing the dishes on the coffee table. They both grimaced for processed foods, but started eating anyway, with Sam watching them closely. Almost twenty minutes later Bucky finished his own dish, returning it to Sam while Zemo only managed to eat half of his meal. Collecting the dishes, Sam put them in the sink with water to wash later, took two pills from the medicine box that was in one of the cabinets and took them to the living room with two glasses of water. Zemo took the pills dry and drank his water next to Bucky, who was hanging his head forward. After collecting the glasses, Sam motioned for the two to get up.
“Okay, you two need to rest. Let's go to the bedroom. ”- While Bucky followed Sam into the bedroom, Zemo stood in the middle of the room, looking from the pair to the door of the his cold room itself. Sam noticed that Zemo was confused and walked over to him, pulling him lightly by the hand. - "I said, come on. All of us."
Zemo's eyes lit up as Sam pulled him and Bucky into the bedroom, taking another blanket from the closet and lining the bed with him and lying down in the center. After settling in, he opened his arms and Bucky soon jumped on the bed, resting his head on his left side and settling in to make himself comfortable. Zemo stood nervously on the other side of the bed, fidgeting with his fingers on the hem of his shirt. Sam reached out and took Zemo's hand again, pulling him lightly, waiting for the smaller man to settle on the right side of his chest, his head below Sam's chin. While Bucky's vibranium arm was cold on one side, on the other end Zemo's skin was practically boiling.
Sam disengaged from both of them quickly to pull the blanket up, making the two men groan at the loss. He smiled and went back to his original position, this time covering the three, Bucky's hand reaching out to grab Zemo's and intertwining his fingers over Sam's stomach. After they were comfortable, Sam kissed Bucky's cheek and Zemo's forehead, making the Baron even redder. Slowly, they both fell asleep, with Sam watching them sleep and petting their hair, and if he took a picture of his sleeping boys and used it as a lockscreen, it was nobody's business.