LUMINOUS | bucky barnes

three: the forgiveness

The continuous sharp movements of the mattress beside her caused the canine to jolt awake. Her head raised quickly, looking over her back to the man who was sleeping beside her.

Reflections of the moonlight glistened on a thin layer of sweat that had formed on his forehead as his head thrashed side to side in his sleep, murmurs of past memories escaping his chapped lips.

The dog hadn't a faintest clue to what was happening, so she backed away from the mattress in fear, tail between her legs and her ears flat against her head. However, as James's turmoil continued, a fearful whine escaped from her throat.

When James's figure jerked as he awoke, the dog jumped back, knocking into the man's boots as she did so. The sound caused James to look over at the dog, who's behind was low to the ground in fear, but her head stuck out into his direction as she tested the air around him.

Barnes's deep breaths continued as he looked at the creature, feeling a sense of pity for her because he caused her this fear. However, the feeling subdued when the petite dog walked back up to him, making eye contact. Her blue eyes brightened in the moonlight of the early morning as she nudged James's hand with her wet nose.

And he didn't feel guilt overwhelming him at that moment, when the dog forgave him for his behaviour with a simple touch to his cold hand.

•••

"What's gonna be your name?" James wondered aloud while chewing on some fruit.

The nameless dog didn't move her head, but looked up at her new friend from her place in the sheets. After James had woken up and fed both himself and his roommate, the dog decided to take a snooze on the mattress. She didn't think they were going anywhere anytime soon.

The dog didn't know what was going on in James's head, let alone what his speech had meant. Those words he had just said were meaningless to her, although she knew she would catch on to what he wanted eventually; that's just how dogs work.

What the little staffy didn't know was that a flash of a memory he had before had popped up in his head, of a stray dog and loud traffic. And, as soon as it had popped up, it disappeared and James couldn't decipher what it had meant. He thought harder, and remembered a skinny boy standing next to him, and that memory of the boy led to another memory: the black dog again.

What had popped up in his head next was just as random as the scene before, but instead it was a name.

"Lumi." He mumbled incoherently.

The dog looked up again, this time raising her head. The pair made eye contact, both as confused and clueless as each other in that situation, but Barnes repeated it again.

"Lumi."

The dog remained confused.

James nodded to himself, finishing off his sweet fruit and reaching his hand out to stroke the newly-named creature. She, however, licked his hand instead because she just couldn't restrain herself - the fruit juice just smelled so appetising.

James smiled as Lumi licked his flesh hand, the feeling sticky but gentle. He was quite pleased with the new name, and knew that the dog wouldn't mind anyway.