Sleepover Fun!

[usedtobesmoller]

WHO:Steve, Bucky, and Peter
WHERE: The hotel
WHAT: SLEEPOVEEEEER
WHEN: After the trial
WARNINGS: None yet!


Steve was loathe to admit it, but he still wasn't 100% after his bout with pneumonia. It had knocked him out for months and even now he needed some extra sleep and recovery time even after the simplest of things. Like, apparently, trying to save a man's life from capital punishment. Even with the coffee Bucky gave him, he was tired by the end of the meeting and ready to pass out for a couple hours.

As they walked back he absolutely did not lean on Bucky a bit for stability. No one could ever prove otherwise.

The room itself wasn't enormous and definitely didn't have a lot of extra luxuries. Steve's bed was nothing special and almost immediately he went over to it and yanked some blankets off to toss on Bucky's.

"Here, Peter. Take this one. Buck and I've shared before, it's no issue. If you want more blankets you can have 'em. I think I was wrapped up with every one this planet had ta offer when I was sick, though. No need to cook ya in the night."

Comments

[thestaremaster]

While Steve was being a welcoming host, Bucky fixed the kid with a glare, still not entirely over their first introduction.

"Just cook me, I see how it is," he muttered, sharing a small smirk with his friend before quickly reverting to grump-mode.

He wasn't used to being on guard like this in their space, and he wondered how quickly Steve would call him on it if he made up some excuse to slip away.

[hashtagparkerluck]

Peter's not his usual cheerful and chatty self at the moment considering everything that's happened and he has no idea why Bucky is giving him that look. The airport was nothing personal, honest! He just wanted to impress Mr Stark!

He hasn't even really said anything the man but, it's clear to Peter that he's not too thrilled with the living arrangements which has Peter's anxiety ramped up to about a ten. Which means he's feeling awkward and a bit stiff as well as deflated. It's a weird feeling.

"I uh... If-if uh.. Mr-Mr Bucky doesn't-doesn't want me here I can-can...go." He offers awkwardly.

[usedtobesmoller]

Steve shoots Bucky a sharp look and hopes that is enough to get his message across to the other man. "Bucky is fine. His ma taught him to be a gracious host and he would never disrespect a guest stayin' with him by making them feel uncomfortable."

Steve keeps his eyes on Bucky as he says that before finally giving Peter a smile.

"It's really nothin'. We're just gonna pass out for a few hours, wake up, and see if things don't look a little better with some sleep under our belt. No issues at all with that."

[thestaremaster]

Pulling the mother card? This soon?? Bucky seems to have a silent eye duel with Steve, one he evidently loses, as he puts on a tight smile directed towards Peter. It softens a little when he sees how anxious the kid is, and he sighs, nodding.

"It's fine, really," he assures, trying to look a little less imposing, though it doesn't go very well.

[hashtagparkerluck]

Peter stills just stands in the same spot, still stiff and idly playing with the hem of his sleeves. He can tell his being here is causing them problems and the last thing he wants right now is to cause more people problems.

"I-I don't-Really, if it's too much-I can tell you're not-I don't want to cause any more problems for anyone."

[usedtobesmoller]

Steve is going to kill Bucky. He's going to kill him and no one will prosecute him. "Peter. I swear... Just. Hold on one second."

Steve flips around toward Bucky and grabs his arm to drag him just outside the door. He shuts it carefully and then glares up at Bucky in the hopes that he'll develop laser vision and burn his face off.

"Buck, what the Hell is going on? That kid is fifteen years old and has had his mind messed around with by a murderer and his other friend nearly killed. He's exhausted and alone and I dunno what crawled up your ass but if you can't get over it, it better be something real good."

[thestaremaster]

Jesus, no one can make Bucky wince like he's getting yelled at by his mother quite like Steve. It looks a bit strange with his imposing frame next to Steve's small one, the way he avoids his gaze and nods quickly.

"I can just-" he starts to excuse, glancing away with longing. The doc would probably have a field day with all this, and he half scowls at the thought, taking a centering breath. "...I don't know how to do this anymore, Steve," he says finally, with a nod back to the door.

[usedtobesmoller]

"Do what?"

Steve's anger fades as he wonders just what he missed when it comes to his friend. He reaches for Bucky's wrist and holds it to stop him from either fleeing or from feeling too isolated.

"You don't have to do anything, Buck. Just... don't glare at him and make him feel like he's walked in on your private date."

[thestaremaster]

God. Bucky scrubs his free hand over his face, but stills.

"The whole...social thing." He's working on it. With Steve it's easy. And with Sam it's getting better, but something's still broken inside, and he's not sure it will ever come as easy as it used to. It's easier to just throw up that wall, let people chip away bit by bit.

"...You're the one that's got us back to sharing a bed," he teases lightly to show he's trying. He'll try. He will.

"I'll try."

Later that night...

[thestaremaster]

Bucky stared at the ceiling. He'd feigned sleep until he was reasonably sure Steve and Peter had drifted off, and he allowed himself to stare off into the dark. There was something soothing about it, or familiar at least. He let his thoughts drift away, becoming almost blank.

It was very suddenly that that emptiness suddenly didn't feel right, chest tight, and Bucky blinked, suddenly aware of himself. He glanced towards Steve, and carefully extracted himself from the bed, slipping from the room and silently closing the door behind him.

He exhaled slowly, leaning against the wall to try and ground himself.

[usedtobesmoller]

Steve felt more than heard Bucky getting out of the bed. He wasn't usually a light sleeper but with someone else in the room, he just hadn't gotten quite as settled as he otherwise might have been. Peter seemed so troubled and so upset that Steve wanted to be there if he woke up with a nightmare. It hadn't occurred to him, however, that he was worrying about the wrong person.

It was the cold that hit him first. Bucky had been so warm against his side that losing that was almost as though a window was flung open. Steve blinked awake just as the door shut. His internal clock was always pretty reliable so he could tell it was an odd time to just be going for a walk. Curious and concerned, he slipped out of the bed as well and poked his head out just to see where his friend was going.

Apparently not that far.

"Buck?" Steve closed the door and went to stand near him. "Are you okay?"

[thestaremaster]

Shit.

Bucky froze up as soon as the door opened, eyes snapping open and quickly clearing his expression so he could meet Steve's question with a neutral face.

"Mm?"

He nodded faintly, pressing his lips together. "M'fine. You should get back to bed. You need your rest, remember?"

[usedtobesmoller]

"If I forgot I would only be about five seconds from you reminding me, again," Steve said dryly. Nothing about his posture suggested he was going to be heading back inside. He crossed his arms over his chest and turned his head slightly, concerned.

"What's wrong? And don't say nothin'. I know when you're lying."

[thestaremaster]

Bucky fixed him with a challenging look, but it wasn't long before he broke. Steve had nearly perfected the technique of getting him to talk when he didn't want to.

"...I just...lost myself for a minute," he explained with a faint frown, gaze shifting away.

[usedtobesmoller]

It didn't make sense but Bucky was saying it in a way that made it seem like a regular occurrence. Steve wasn't sure what upset him more: that he'd missed such an important issue in his friend or that it was happening in the first place. Either way, he needed to learn more.

"Lost yourself? What does that mean?"

[thestaremaster]

That frown deepened and Bucky shook his head dismissively,

"...Doesn't matter. It's fine now. I'll be back inside in a minute, you don't need to worry."

[usedtobesmoller]

"How about you let me judge that, huh?"

Steve walked around to keep Bucky's gaze. "If the tables were turned, you'd pester it outta me. You really think I'm less stubborn than you?"

Even later in the night

[hashtagparkerluck]

Peter fell asleep with relative ease but his mind is still a jumbled mess as his brain tries to grapple with all the falsehoods it's been fed the past few months and sort out what's the truth, trying to decide if Tony really does die in the not so distance future, and try not to think about just how much he misses May. His mind twists his dreams into nightmares. He tosses and turns for a moment before his eyes snap open and he sucks in a sharp breath.

It takes him a moment to realise where he is and takes a few quick breaths and sits up to see if he managed to wake anyone up.

[thestaremaster]

Despite his promise to Steve, Bucky hasn't slept. He's sitting propped half upright in bed so he can keep an eye on things without disturbing Steve again when the kid wakes.

Bucky's head turns sharply, aborting a moment to go for his knife once his mind processes the scene. His head cocks silently to the side once the kid spots him to ask if he's all right?

[hashtagparkerluck]

In truth, Peter hadn't really wanted to fall asleep, his plans had been somewhat similar to Bucky in that he was going to pretend and stare at the wall into the early, early hours of the night. But emotional breakdowns are exhausting which meant he crashed before he even realised it was happening.

He catches Bucky's eyes and he sucks in a breath, not really sure what to say. He already feels ridiculous over the situation and like this is a huge imposition on the man. And it is. Who wants to deal with a messed up teenager?

"I'm fine." he lies quickly before laying back down again.

[usedtobesmoller]

The sound wakes Steve up. His face is bleary as he blinks himself aware, blindly reaching for his inhaler just out of habit. Usually in the mornings when he was sick that piece of plastic was his best friend.

Slowly, he awakens enough to understand what's going on.

"Peter? Y'ok?" He props himself up on an elbow, eyes wide with genuine concern. "Nightmare?"

[thestaremaster]

Bucky reaches to rub at his cheek to feign having to recently awoken as well.

"If you were fine I'd be concerned," he points out. And the kids not good enough to fake it yet, his face is like an open book.

[hashtagparkerluck]

And now they're both awake and Peter can't help but feel like it's his fault. He squeezes his eyes shut and shakes his head.

"N-no, I'm okay." He lies again, not convincingly. "I'll be okay. Just.. I just woke up for a minute, that's all."

[usedtobesmoller]

Steve looks over at Bucky and then at Peter, dubious. "No one in this room is a stranger to nightmares," he says. "And I know it is rough feelin' like a burden to people. But really, you can talk to us if you want to. Usually stops 'em from coming back."

[thestaremaster]

Bucky nods solemnly, lowering his gaze a moment before offering Peter a half smirk, "If having me around is too intimidating I can step out so it's just the two of you," he offers, "Steve's got a baby face, he's easier to talk to."