The Invited Guest
I have to find a way to help him. Steve thought as he watched Bucky drink milk straight from the carton. The dark circles under Bucky's eyes proved exactly whose muffled screams had woken him up the past week.
“Quit staring punk.”
“You look exhausted and who drinks straight from the carton?”
“I’m fine.”
“The exhausted thing or the drinking from the carton thing?”
“Both.”
Steve sighs, “You know you can talk to me about anything, Buck.”
“I. Am. Fine. Steve.”
Steve huffs and debates whether or not to push the subject further. Quickly glancing Bucky over to make sure he has no visible weapons and calculating how close Bucky is to the kitchen knives, he decides to speak. After all, when has Steve Rogers ever backed down from danger? Especially for those he cares about?
“I can hear you… at night… You're not fine Buck”
Bucky freezes. “You. What.”
Maybe I shouldn’t have brought it up. Well, no turning back now.
“I can hear you waking up screaming from nightmares.”
“Are you spying on me, you little creep?!”
“What?! No! It’s- It’s just that the serum enhanced all of my senses. Including hearing. So when you think you've…” Steve trails off when he sees Bucky's glare.
“Don’t look at me like that, jerk”
“I’ll look at you however I damn well please, whippersnapper.”
“I’m only 3 years younger than you!”
“That’s like a lifetime, you flaming youth.”
“That’s Bushwa!”
“Language!”
Steve glanced around to make sure no other Avengers were around before flipping him off.
Bucky rolled his eyes and scoffed in mock offense at Steve’s digitus impudicus. “Now, now that’s an extra dollar to the swear jar, Stevie.”
“I made the damn swear jar. I don’t pay anything to it.”
“You don’t pay to yours. However, I started one that is specifically for you to pay to.”
“Jerk.”
“Punk.”
It’s just like how we were before the war.
I have an idea.
Just hope he doesn’t sock me for it.
As Steve pulled out two dollars to put in Bucky's swear jar he voiced his idea, “Hey Buck, what if you stayed in my room to sleep? Like we did before the war.”
“Why would I do that?”
“It might help keep your nightmares away. You know, having something familiar and from before… Hydra.”
Bucky tensed slightly at the word, “I- I’ll think about it.”
“That’s all I ask. Just know my door is always open.”
With that, Steve walked off to let Bucky think it over.
That night as Steve was falling asleep his door opened slightly and a figure walked over to his bed.
“Still hogging the whole bed ya punk?” Bucky’s gruff voice muttered and Steve grinned.
“Of course I am.”
“Well move over. I want to sleep.” Steve scooted over to make room for the other super soldier, who immediately curled up into him like they did as kids.
“You better not steal all the blankets, Stevie.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”
Bucky huffed, “You say that every time. Yet I always wake up without blankets.”
“Yeah but now I’m like a walking furnace and don’t need them all anymore.”
“We will see.”
With that both soldiers fell asleep and this was the first time in over 7 decades neither of them woke up screaming.
Though Steve had stolen all the blankets.
Uninvited guest #1
It’d been about a month since this new and old arrangement was set. While they both still get nightmares they are manageable because they have each other.
Bucky’s therapist even approves of the situation. Saying that it’s good for his mental recovery to have something familiar.
Bucky was starting to even act like his old self again. Opening up more, nerding out over science things, taking in random strays…
“The cat is not staying on my bed!”
“The cat has a name! And yes Alpine is! She needs to be kept warm!”
“I don’t want her on my bed! She can sleep on her cat bed!”
“Are you really denying this cute face?” Bucky held up Alpine and shoved her face in Steve’s. Who she promptly liked on the nose.
Moving his face away Steve made eye contact with Bucky. “Yes, yes I am. She can sleep on her bed. Not mine.”
With a huff, Bucky begins speaking to Alpine in the voice that everyone uses for all cute animals, “Don’t listen to mean old Stevie, you can climb into his bed with me anytime you want.”
“No, she can’t! I don’t want hairballs in my bed!”
“She won’t do that. Right Alpine?”
Alpine only meowed in response.
“See! She says she won’t!”
“She is a cat.”
“That is entirely besides the point.”
“How is It besides the point?!”
“It just is.”
“Look, Buck. I am not sharing my bed with a cat”
“So sleep on the cat bed. ‘Cause Alpine is sleeping with me and we are sleeping in your bed.” With that, Bucky sat down with Alpine on Steve’s bed.
“Get. That. Mangy. Cat. Off. My. Bed.”
“No,” Bucky laid down and Alpine curled up on his chest, “And she is not mangy.”
Steve huffed, knowing he lost the argument. “Damnit.”
“Language Captain. There are small ears present.” Bucky teased.
“Oh shut up. She is a cat.”
“Put a dollar in the jar, punk”
“Fine, jerk.” Steve put a dollar in the jar that Bucky had made for him. Despite having been made a month ago the jar had more money in it than the swear jar for the entirety of the Avengers. With a groan, Steve flopped on his bed and snuggled into the duo.
“I see you’ve given in to the fact that Alpine is sleeping here.”
“I’m not giving into it. I am ignoring it.”
Uninvited guest #2
“Wake up sleepy head!!” Sam yelled as he turned on Steve’s light and recorded him.
“AAAAAAH!!” Steve screamed
“What the fuck man,” Bucky mumbled as he sat up.
“OH MY-“
“Sam, you knew about this.”
“I know. I was doing this for the vine.”
“The what, pigeon?” Bucky snapped.
“The vine,” Sam drawled sarcastically, “And I’m the Falcon. Not the pigeon.”
“Same difference dumbass”
“That's a second dollar to the language jar, Winta Soujia Boi,” Sam said in a sing-song voice.
“You did not!” Bucky leaped up from the bed and lunged for Sam.
Who screams as he tries to run from the very angry and very scary super soldier.
He does not get away
Bucky tackles Sam while Steve tries unsuccessfully to hold back his laughter.
“That’s not my name Feather Brain!”
“Is too, Cold Ranch Dorito!”
“Shut the fuck up, KFC!”
“Language DQ!!”
Steve is dying laughing at the two squabbling like siblings and decides to step in before someone (Bucky) breaks someone’s (Sam’s) nose.
“Ladies, Ladies you're both beautiful and the perfect arm candy.”
Both men immediately stop fighting and glare at Steve, who is red in the face, wheezing, and tearing up from laughing.
“We are not ladies.” Sam and Bucky say simultaneously.
“Well, Flappy Bird might be,” Bucky smirked.
“Shut up Tinman.”
Steve stepped in between the duo. “No more fighting. I don’t want to take either of you to the med bay.”
After Steve got the two to calm down he sent the two on their separate ways. However, the tension between Sam and Bucky was still thick for the rest of the day.
That night as Bucky was getting ready for bed he realized Alpine was nowhere to be found.
“Steve. What have you done to Alpine?”
“Like I would do anything to that cat, who you care about more than me. Maybe you should stop letting her roam the entire tower.”
“She's a cat. She deserves to have the freedom to explore. No living thing should be locked up”
Steve tried to keep from rolling his eyes, “Where was the last place you saw her?”
“The common room. She was curled up with the Spiderboy.”
“So check there.”
Bucky quickly walked out of the room and nearly crashed into Sam who was holding onto Alpine.
“What are you doing with Alpine, Bird boy?”
“Calm down Mr. Prosthetic, I'm just trying to bring her to you.”
Bucky quickly grabbed Alpine from Sam and cooed at her. “Did that stinky pigeon hurt you?”
“I did not hurt her. I don't have a death wish.”
“Good.” Bucky started to carry Alpine back to his and Steve's room before she started meowing loudly and trying to get out of his arms.
He quickly sets her down, “What's wrong floof?”
She runs over to Sam and begins tugging on his pant leg.
“You corrupted my cat, Robo-Wings!”
“How can one corrupt a cat, they are already evil!”
“Alpine is not evil!” Bucky bent down to pick her up but she refused to let go of Sam.
“Why won't you let go of the birdman…” Bucky's face dropped with realization, “He is not going to be another one of your gifts! He isn’t an actual bird!”
Alpine still refused to let go. “What the hell are you talking about?” Sam said very confused.
Bucky groaned, “She thinks you're an actual bird. She's not going to let go until she gives you as a gift to Steve and I.”
“Meaning?”
Bucky simply picked up Sam and Alpine, carrying them both to Steve's bed.
“Whoa, man! Put me down!”
Bucky unceremoniously drops Sam on the bed next to Steve and looks Alpine in the eyes. “Thank you for the gift sweetie. He has to go to his room now.”
Alpine simply meowed before curling up on Sam's chest and falling asleep.
“Damnit Alpine! You're supposed to be a punk to him! Not fall asleep on his chest!”
Steve and Sam are both trying to hold back their laughter at Bucky's frustration.
“Looks like I did corrupt your cat”
“Shut up,” Bucky grumbled as he climbed into bed. Sam then immediately maneuvered himself so he could kick Bucky in his sleep without disturbing Alpine.
Uninvited Guest #3
Natasha stormed into Steve's room where he, Bucky, Sam, and Alpine were asleep at two a.m.
“You invited the rest of the Hydra busters to sleep in your bed but forgot me!?”
“The what?” Steve, Bucky, and Sam mumble simultaneously as they wake up, due to Nat yelling.
“It doesn't matter! You invited them and forgot me! You even invited a cat!”
“For the record I only invited Bucky. He is the only person I gave permission to sleep in my bed. Alpine is here because Bucky is a jerk. Sam is here because Alpine is a cat and she thinks he is an actual bird who needs to be gifted to Bucky.”
“Doesn’t matter. I wasn’t invited by you so I'm inviting myself.” Natasha quickly climbed into the bed and curled up against Steve.
“Hey! There isn't enough space for you Widow!” Bucky snapped while curling up into Steve's other side.
“So Sam or your cat can leave!”
“Absolutely not!” Sam shouted
“Meow!” Alpine meowed in protest simultaneously.
“It's fine. We can make it work for now. I'll just get Tony to order me a larger bed tomorrow.”
The five settled down and got mostly comfortable.
Already half-asleep Bucky mumbled, “Sam if you do not stop kneeing me in the back I will rip your wings and throw you from the helicarrier again.”
“Bucky we are not threatening people. Sam quit acting like a child. Nat honey you are doing great.” Steve muttered, half asleep as well.
“You forgot Alpine.”
“She is a cat.”
“You still forgot her.” Bucky pouted
“Fine. Alpine have sweet dreams.”
“Thank you.”
Uninvited Guest #4
It's wintertime around the compound. Meaning it was cold. Not that Steve was outwardly bothered by it. After all, he's like a walking furnace thanks to the serum. However, the cold brought up memories for him he'd rather not think about. In fact, he refuses to fly in the quinjet if it's snowing.
You're not back in the ice. You are fine.
Steve wasn’t the only Avenger with negative memories surrounding the cold.
Bucky was clingier than usual. Always carrying Alpine, bumping shoulders with Sam, letting Nat braid his hair, or holding onto Steve. Needing constant reminders that he was safe. That this wasn’t a cryo-dream. That he wasn't with Hydra anymore.
Nat grew more distant the colder it got. Staring off into nothing, no doubt reliving her time in the red room. Snapping at anyone who asked what she was thinking about.
Tony refuses to wear any less than five hoodies. He can't sleep unless the lights are on or Pepper is literally lying on top of him.
As for Peter? He can end up going into a trance-like state in search of warmth.
Peter finds it super embarrassing. He can't control it as it's a side effect of the spider bite.
All throughout the winter Peter can be found wandering, almost aimlessly, around the compound until he finds warmth. Typically being found in the boiler room or the quinjet engines.
However this night he didn’t end up in either of those places.
That night he climbed straight into Tony’s bed for warmth.
Prompting the highest pitch scream ever heard from a grown man's mouth. Waking nearly the entire tower. Everyone, except for Thor, the heaviest sleeper in the nine realms, ran into Tony’s room.
Steve, Natasha, Sam, and Bucky are the first to arrive, weapons, or Alpine in Bucky's case, at the ready.
“What’s wrong Tony?!”
“Who do we need to kill?!”
“Meow”
Everyone was shouting at the same time.
Peter sat up still half-asleep and mumbled, “Warm.” Before climbing out of Tony’s bed and clinging to Steve’s leg like a small child.
Tony finally managed to calm down enough to say, “The teenage spiderling decided to climb into my bed. Without permission.”
“Yeah, it sucks when that happens,” Steve says while glaring at Natasha, Sam, and Alpine.
“Well guess what? He’s your problem now.”
“Seriously Stark.”
“Yep. Have a nice night Rogers.”
Tony rolled over and tried to fall back asleep. With a huff, Steve trudged back to his room. Sam, Nat, Bucky, and Alpine following close behind.
Once in his room, the group attempted to remove Peter from Steve’s leg.
All of them were unsuccessful.
Peter has unconsciously activated his spider stick and will not be moving from Steve’s leg until he chooses to. He had also started to gum Steve’s leg, like a teething baby.
The group manages to maneuver into bed. Steve lying on his back with Natasha curled into his right side, and Bucky curled into his left. Sam curled behind Bucky, intentionally kneeing him in the back. Peter was curled up across all of their legs, perfectly content. Alpine curled similarly, equally as content.
Unbeknownst to all of them, Tony was waiting for them to all fall asleep before snapping a Polaroid picture. Which was stuck to the fridge with a Captain America magnet that Morgan had made