7
“I can't believe you're actually doing that,” Bucky said with a little laugh. He was looking up at Daisy with a little grin. “Are you sure? I mean, you don't have to,” he said again.
“You could try and stop me,” she answered looking at him with an upturned eyebrow. “But I'm totally intended to eat this,” she said then, pointing at the burger on her plate. Bucky raised his hands, shaking a bit his head.
“I don't see how that.. thing could stay in your little body,” he justified, looking at the burger. He had the feeling that it was the biggest one he ever saw. Daisy laughed again before taking it. “Oh my God, I can't watch,” said Bucky at the first bite, making her laugh again.
“I'm hungry! Stop making me feel like I'm some kind of monster,” she said with her mouth full of food. That made Bucky laugh again, and a couple of people turned to them.
“Alright, alright – I'm sorry,” he said then, lowering his head down.
“You didn't ask why we are here and not chasing some dogs,” Daisy said after some minutes.
“I thought that I could have just enjoyed the moment, when I make questions something happens,” he answered, scrolling his shoulders. Daisy smiled, put down the burger left and took her bag. It was a little black backpack, but Bucky thought there was the world in it.
“I've found these,” she said, taking a bunch of pages. “S.H.I.E.L.D hasn't deleted me yet, and I hacked something,” she added with a little grin. “Everything you need to know about the Winter Soldier or James Barnes is here,” she continued with a sweet voice. “You don't have to read it all if you don't want to, even tho knowing your past can help.”
“Daisy, I –” he tried to say.
“Hush, I'm not done yet,” she said, shaking an hand. “I don't care what you do with it, you could throw it while we go out, but you need to close the circle to make the nightmares stop, and I'm going to be here.”
They didn't talk a lot after that. He thanked her, they finished eating and then they returned to the hotel. He was holding to the papers almost compulsively.
“I don't think I can do this alone,” he said in front of the door, while Daisy was wishing him a ‘goodnight’. They stand for a bit frozen, he looking at the door and she looking at him.
“I'll be right back,” she said then, entering the room. A few minutes passed and then she came back in her pajamas, which was basically a very long shirt and a pair of shorts.
“What are you doing?” he asked while she was sitting at the bottom of the bed, legs crossed.
“I told you, I'm here for whatever you need,” she said, making a little move with the head, pointing at the bed. Bucky turned the back at her and took his shirt off.
“Buck, I already saw you shirtless and you're hot – that's not what I mean, took that grin off your face before I quake it,” she said, looking at him.
“Alright, alright, I'm still hurt from the last time,” he said, reaching for the bed. With all the space left, he sat right beside her, shoulder to shoulder. He was still uncomfortable with the fact that he had a metal arm, but with Daisy by his side he basically didn't notice that. She took his hand – the real one – gently and smiled at him.
“I told you, it's gonna be alright,” she murmured.
“I know,” he answered. “I'm scared because I know I've done horrible things, but you're here,” he added.
For the first time after years, Daisy felt like she was blushing – or maybe she was. They didn't said anything else while Bucky started to read.
Daisy fell asleep after two hours. She probably didn't acknowledge that, or the fact that her head was on Bucky's lap before he moved her slowly. He couldn't sleep, still reading in the pale light that he kept on. It was a lot, really – how could somebody like him have done all those things?
“They're not all horrible like you said,” Daisy had told him. “You were a hero, Buck.” He liked being called Buck by her. As much as James – he had forgot the last time someone called him James, before her.
He closed the sheet of paper: Daisy was right, he wasn't a monster. And it was going to be everything alright. He was about to turn off the light, even tho he wasn't probably going to sleep, when a little sigh left Daisy's lips.
“Daisy?” he called, turning to her. She was shaking, holding on the covers under her. “Daisy, wake up,” he murmured, touching her shoulder. She was starting to cry – that's when Bucky knew Daisy had nightmares too. Instead of trying to wake her up, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer. She told him once that it was relaxing to being hugged, held, and maybe that could have helped.
“It's going to be alright, Daisy,” he said. “You're gonna be fine.”
They fell asleep like that, holding on to eachother, like it was what they were meant to do all the time.