Fever
Finished art and chapter one.
Feel free to not read the below and just enjoy the comic panels.
No smut in this chapter. Will come later if I can be bothered to finish it.
Bucky was blindsided by one of them hiding behind the door he had kicked in. He didn't catch the movement quick enough and a sharp stinging exploded in his neck.
He twisted and put his hand over his neck as the guy stumbled backwards with an empty syringe in his hand.
Bucky gave him a right hook that had his head smacking into the wall, the man slumped to the ground unconscious.
Bucky got back to his room and Steve was sitting on the couch reading a book. He dropped his bag on the floor and kicked it towards the bedroom before crawling onto the couch. He was exhausted.
He let himself fall so that his head was on Steve's lap. Steve closed the book and put it on the armrest, he looked down at Bucky
Bucky nodded against Steve's thigh, his whole body relaxing against the larger man under his head.
Steve put one hand through Bucky's hair and the other draped across his shoulder.
Bucky relaxed into Steve's touch and breathed in deeply before exhaling his reply
A small smile appeared on Steve's face and he ran his fingers over Bucky's scalp
Steve brushed the hair back from Bucky's forehead and as his hand touched the skin he frowned.
He placed his hand flat against Bucky's forehead and the frown deepened.
"Buck, you have a fever…"
Bucky laughed with a puff of air leaving his nose
Steve shifted a little, his hand still on Bucky's forehead, he moved his other hand and placed two fingers against his pulse.
"No really Buck, you have a fever. Your pulse is elevated"
That Bucky knew, he could feel it thrumming in his veins but chalked it up to whatever sedative they'd injected him with.
Steve's fingers left Bucky's neck for a moment before they touched his collar and shifted it out of the way. Steve saw the pinprick mark on his neck, his eyebrows knitting together in concern
"Did you get injected with something?"
Bucky waved his hand in a dismissive gesture
"Sedative, probably why I'm so tired."
"No, you're tired because you're sick"
Bucky huffed a sigh, he was too tired to argue. He turned his head and pressed it into the crook of Steve's hip. Steve's hand immediately went to the back of Bucky's head, his fingers scratching lightly against his skull.
The world washed away in that moment, with his head pressed into Steve all light in the room was blocked out and he was swimming in contended darkness.
Steve spoke softly, his voice lowered to a patient and caring timbre. His fingers trailing lightly up and down Bucky's spine while the other carded through his hair.
"We need to know what they injected you with. Will you let me take you to medical?"
Bucky's left arm moved from its position at his side and grabbed the bottom of Steve's shirt, holding it lightly in his fist but pulling down just enough that Steve knew he wasn't about to move anywhere.
"Okay, well we do need to draw some blood. Will you let me call someone up here?"
Bucky took a deep breath and gave a lazy nod. He knew Steve wouldn't drop this until he knew that whatever was running through his veins wasn't life threatening. It was easier to get it over with, but he wasn't willing to move in order to do so.
He thought fleetingly about how childish he was acting, but when Steve spoke the fingers dancing against his spine increased in pressure just a little and Bucky's mind blanked out and he let himself fall into the touches.
"Jarvis, can you send someone to draw bloods please?"
A light knock came at the door and Bucky came crashing back down into himself. He was suddenly hyper aware of how close he was to Steve. How exposed he felt being seen like this. He was the protector, always had been and he had let himself burden Steve with a cold.
Steve saw Bucky's body stiffen, he could feel the muscles in his jaw clench against his thigh and the fabric of his shirt tightened inside Bucky's fist.
Steve pressed a firm hand between his shoulder blades, his thumb moving up and down in a soothing motion
"They will be gone in a few minutes. Do you want me to move?"
Bucky's left hand closed impossibly tighter, pulling the fabric of Steve's shirt closer to his face.
No, he didn't want Steve to move. He took a silent breath and reminded himself that this was okay. Allowing himself to accept comfort was okay.
His voice was small, barely audible but Steve heard it and the hand on his back pressed firmly down.
"Jarvis, open the door please"
The latch clicked and Bucky pressed his head further into Steve in an attempt to hide himself.
The man who entered the room was average in every way possible. Brown hair, brown eyes, average height and weight. Steve recognised his face from around the complex but had never interacted with him.
The man approached them and put his kit down on the coffee table, he knelt in front of the couch and unlatched the case. He pulled on gloves and withdrew a syringe.
"Sergeant Barnes, can you please rotate your arm for me?"
Bucky turned his arm outward and the man tied a tourniquet around his bicep, once it was in place Bucky clenched his fist a few times.
The man inserted the syringe, removed the tourniquet and took four vials of blood, he placed them carefully into his case.
He picked up a cotton ball with a piece of tape but stopped and stared at them for a moment, his eyes flicking to Bucky's arm. The blood had almost immediately stopped flowing when he pulled the syringe out, the super soldier probably didn't need a band-aid. His eyes moved to the Captain and he gave a soft smile and a small shake of his head.
"Thank you, I'll take these to the lab."
He left swiftly with a courteous nod.
Bucky pulled his right arm under him, his body turning so he was laying on his side but still pressed tightly against the angle of Steve's hip.
"Do you want to lay here for a bit or should we move to the bed?"
Bucky took a moment to respond.
He was so tired that he didn't want to move but he also wanted a blanket over him.
He rolled onto his back, eyes still closed and Steve leant down placing a kiss against his forehead.
"Can you walk, or do you want me to carry you?"
Bucky opened his eyes to see the playful smile dancing across Steve's lips.
Bucky lifted himself up to a sitting position but when he got upright his head swirled and dizziness darkened his peripheral vision.
He swayed a little and Steve pressed up against him, a hand planted firmly on his back and the other at his waist.
Bucky settled into the touch as his vision cleared
He turned himself and started to stand, Steve was moving with him, touching but not assisting and Bucky was grateful for that.
Standing up straight Bucky moved past Steve toward the bedroom. Steve was in step right behind him, his hands firm on his shoulders massaging lightly and it took all of Bucky's strength not to fall back into him. He wanted to feel Steve against his back, wanted him to wrap his arms around his chest and pull him close.
A small shuddered breath passed Bucky's lips and Steve's hands tightened on his shoulders. They passed through the doorway to the bedroom and Bucky was about to let himself collapse onto the mattress but Steve stopped walking and his hands kept Bucky standing in place.
Steve stepped into Bucky's space and pressed himself into his back, his arms snaking down and circling his waist, tugging him gently back into him fully. Bucky hummed a happy sigh as Steve rested his chin on his shoulder, his face slightly turned inward so Bucky could feel his warm breath against his throat as he spoke.
"I'm going to get this gear off of you and then you can sleep, Okay?"
Bucky could only nod, his head lolled back against Steve's shoulder and his eyes drifted closed. With Steve at his back he felt he could fall asleep right there.
Steve pressed a kiss to the side of Bucky's throat and then his arms moved away from his waist. His fingers working deftly over the buckles on his tac vest. He stepped back to remove it but Bucky didn't even have enough time to complain before Steve was pressed back up against him again.
Steve's hands settled on Bucky's hips, the thumb of his right hand slipped under his shirt and gave a soft stroke against his skin before they moved to his belt.
Bucky let more of his weight fall back against Steve's solid frame as he pulled the buckle free, his fingers popping open the button on his pants and pulling the zipper down.
Steve flattened his hands against Bucky's sides and slid his fingers under the waistband of his pants and slid them down his hips, once they got over his thighs they fell just above his knees.
Bucky lifted his head from Steve's shoulder, he took a step forward and turned in Steve's arms plonking himself gracelessly down onto the mattress.
He wanted so badly to fall onto his back but Steve bent into his space, his hands went to either side of his neck he placed a couple of light kisses across his face before he knelt on one knee to undo the laces on his boots.
Bucky felt a warmth spread across his cheeks as they flushed pink. He felt self conscious and exposed, the tenderness of Steve's touch caused a twinge of guilt to radiate from his core. He had to remind himself that if Steve didn't want to do this he wouldn't be, stubborn as he was.
But Bucky couldn't help the way his nerves twitched and burned, telling him that he didn't deserve this.
Steve pulled his boots off and placed them under the bed, he lifted his head and Bucky felt his cheeks flush darker. The smile that graced Steve's face was gentle and loving, his eyes soft as he captured Bucky's gaze.
Steve caught the slight panic in Bucky's expression, he dropped the eye contact before Bucky could and pulled his pants off completely.
He stood and turned to the dresser leaving Bucky sitting on the bed in black briefs and a t-shirt.
"Do you want sweats and a hoodie?"
Bucky pulled his shirt over his head and dropped it on the floor
There was brief pause before he added quietly
Steve smiled to himself, the blue hoodie in question was his own, one that he'd had for many years. It'd been stretched out and had a couple holes forming from continuous use, but the comfort it brought wouldn't allow him to throw it out.
Steve pulled it from the draw and refrained from tugging it over Bucky's head, he figured dressing him would be pushing it a little too far. He could feel Bucky's anxiety and the last thing he wanted was for him to withdraw back into himself.
He handed Bucky the faded blue fabric and watched as he pulled it over his head, the hood sat lopsided covering a quarter of his face. As he poked his arms through the sleeves Steve couldn't stop the affectionate smile from creeping onto his face.
That hoodie was large on him but on Bucky it was atleast two sizes too big.
And it was ridiculous to think about how small and fragile it made Bucky look, considering this man was quite possibly to deadliest human on Earth.
The fabric absolutely swam on him and it reminded Steve of when all of their clothes never quite fit right.
Bucky wrapped his arms around himself and yawned, his eyes closing as he sucked in a deep breath.
Steve took a few steps forward so he was standing in front of him, he reached his hand out and placed it against Bucky's cheek.
Bucky opened his eyes slowly and met Steve's soft gaze
Bucky lent into Steve's touch as his eyes slipped shut again
His voice was quiet as exhaustion seeped through him and Steve felt a surge of love for him spread throughout his body, he wanted to smother Bucky in his arms and kiss every place he could reach.
Bucky hummed a quiet sound of thanks and turned away from Steve to crawl under the covers. He felt the mattress dip behind him as Steve settled at his back, one arm folding around his waist and the other stretched out under his neck. Steve pulled him close and Bucky curled into the embrace, his hands fisted in the long sleeves of Steve's hoodie.
