Sleepover Fun!

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Sleepover Fun!

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."

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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."

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."

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.

"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."

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."

Steve squeezes Bucky's hand and ducks his head to catch and hold his eyes. His heart breaks for Bucky, knowing that the social man has had so much happen to him that something as easy as this is now a minefield he can't navigate. But just like before and just like always, neither of them are alone.

"We'll only be sharin' if you shape up, pal. Otherwise you're sleepin' on the floor." He smiles warmly at his friend, hoping to at least get some of the weight off him.

"Just try. That's all I can ask of you. And maybe no more glaring. I think you're scaring him." Steve squeezes his hand once more and then goes back for the door so they can walk back in.

"Sorry, Peter. We're all good, I promise. Please, just make yourself comfortable."

Peter didn't mean too, he really, really didn't but he's stressed and because he's stressed he has less control over what he's focusing on and curiosity is a vicious thing to wrestle with.

He tries not to make it too obvious that he overheard everything. "Mmhm..." He nods stiffly, not moving and still idly playing with his sleeves.

Bucky offers the kid a smile, though it still doesn't feel quiet natural on his face. He managed well enough with Sarah's kids. Maybe he's gotten to caught up in having Steve returned to him, he's forgotten the lessons he's learned about opening up to others.

He sits on the edge of his bed to try and model for Peter to relax. Not that Bucky's really the model picture of relaxation, but he's trying. "Everyone fill up at the meeting or should I get us something to eat?"

"Watch out if you take 'em up on that offer. Before you know it you'll have five pizza boxes stacked on your bed and a grumpy soldier demanding you stuff up to the gills."

Steve grins at Peter and then at Bucky before going about getting ready for bed himself. He's still recovering from his pneumonia and takes a few puffs from his inhaler. Just to make sure the slight twinge in his lungs stays away.

"I'm good," he verifies. "But Peter, if you're hungry please send him out."

He honestly didn't really feel much like eating at the meeting and he knows he probably should have but he'll survive until morning, surely.

"Um.. I'm.. I don't really have much of an appetite after.." He can't ask Bucky to go out and get him food, then he'd be even more annoyed with Peter. He'll just put up with being hungry if his appetite comes back and hope is his stomach growls no one else hears it.

That's an oddly familiar sounding refusal, and Bucky briefly fixes Peter with the same probing look of disbelief that Steve's been caught under many times in their youth.

"...if you get hungry later," he offers finally, with a nod towards a small bowl of Mangourd seeds he's left by Steve's bed. The husk is easy work for his arm, and it's a nice treat for Steve when he's been feeling poorly.

He nudges off his boots, but since the rest of his nighttime routine would generally require stripping off more than that he stops there.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Speaking of the seeds, Steve grabs a handful of them and goes to lay down on the bed he'll be sharing tonight. Handing one to Bucky, he looks back toward Peter with an encouraging look.

"It might help a little? But there's no pressure. If you just want to go to sleep, that's okay. But we're here to listen..."

It's funny how much that one little question can put so much strain on the dam he's trying to keep from breaking. He feels a lump form solidly in his throat and can his eyes starting to hollow out before he just shakes his head.

"I don't-" He swallows. "-wouldn't even know where to start." He admits. "I think I'd.. rather just sleep.." Maybe, if he can sleep. There's a lot on his mind now so that might make sleep difficult.

Bucky pops the seed into his mouth, swallowing shallowly at the way Peter's voice sounds. His eyes flick from the kid to Steve uncertainly, and he offers an uncertain nod, shifting to lay back.

Maybe privacy is the best thing they can offer him right now?
He looks to Steve again, brow creasing in question.

Steve looks back at Bucky and then gentles his gaze as he turns to Peter.

"The rough thing about being small and sick my whole life is that I wear my weakness on the outside. People look at me and know they can lay me out with a punch. So that means I gotta work twice as hard to make sure I always get up after. Gotta make sure no one sees a crack they can take advantage of, ya know?"

Steve shrugs lightly, not wanting to push here. He just wants to make his point.

"No one in this room is gonna do that to you, alright? We all here made good and bad calls. So. It's fine if ya wanna sleep. But if you change your mind, just know that's okay too."

His eyes burn just a little and he bites the inside of his lip before sucking in a breath to regain his composure.

"I-I think I want to just.. try and sleep it off." He decides, finally moving to at least sit on the bed he'd been offered for the night. Maybe after sleep he'd have some idea how to process everything that had happened. It'd give him so time to think and figure out what his next move is but right now even that feels daunting.

"Th-thanks for... this." He says, despite that he's still pretty sure Bucky doesn't like him much.

"..." Even without looking Bucky recognizes the sound of those held back tears, blinking up at the ceiling with a soft frown as he shifts makes room for Steve.

"It gets easier," he promises.

Steve is quiet as he settles next to Bucky. He doesn't know everything the man has been through but he knows enough.

Steve shifts, pressing against Bucky's side and rests a hand on his chest. "It does," he promises both of them. "And you're not alone."

Does it? Peter sucks in a breath and lets it out through his nose. It feels more like thing only get better to make room for more bad stuff to happen.

He lays back on the bed and just stares up at the ceiling. He can stay here for the night. After that he'll need to figure something out because Mr Rogers and Mr Bucky clearly don't have enough room for him to stay more than a night and he's also pretty sure Bucky would kill him and it would be a major imposition.

...

"Thanks." He says quietly, not trusting his voice to be any louder.

Bucky slightly rolls his eyes at Steve, but he smiles. For the moment at least he can pretend Steve will stay like this forever, and the future won't come where he chooses to leave him behind.

"Get some sleep, Sherriff," he teases softly, making sure Steve's covered by those too hot blankets.

"You too, Deputy," Steve shoots back with the same teasing tone. Just like the old days.

He turns toward Bucky so he can give him a warm smile and kick at his leg. "And if you snore, Peter and I are both gonna smother you, pal. So watch out."

It's kinda nice to hear them bicker. He wanders if this was how they were before HYDRA. They're conversation, while he feels a little guilty for listening in, give him something to focus on while he stares up at the ceiling.

It doesn't take as long as he thought it might for him to fall asleep and soon enough, Peter is fast asleep, snoring softly.

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Sleepover Fun!

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