Trauma

an accident and tears

It wasn't a calm night. Not at all. Not because Trauma made any noises but because he didn't. Bucky woke multiple times, imagining that he'd heard a bark or a howl or something else. He then lay away, listening into the darkness with Steve pressed against him, his breathing calm. He obviously was asleep. Bucky couldn't seem to find rest though. He only kept himself from getting up and checking on the dog because he didn't want to wake his boyfriend and rob him of some much needed sleep.

They had left the bedroom door open. To make it easier to hear things and to make it possible for Trauma to check on them if he needed to and join them in bed whenever he felt like it. The two men didn't want him to feel lonely. He didn't come though.

Time went by and Bucky drifted from being awake for hours into a shallow slumber just to wake up again and repeat the whole scenario. He thought about giving up on trying to find rest but he was to exhausted. He needed the sleep. He was desperate for sleep. He wanted to rest and to recover to play with Trauma as much as he could the next day. To give the dog as much of his time as he could spare. His body wasn't keen on giving him what he needed though.

As he tossed around under his sheets once again and forced his eyes shut he finally found some peace. His mind had mercy and just pressed the emergency shut down button. Finally Bucky drifted off into sleep. The time he actually spend asleep felt like seconds. Then Steve gently shook him awake. Bucky groaned. Then he was wide awake. Did something happen? His heart sped up and he was ready to jump out of bed.

"Buck? You promised to be the one to walk Trauma today" , his boyfriend whispered in the darkness. Because that was what it was, dark. The sun had not yet risen. Relief flooded through Bucky's body. Trauma was alright. Nothing had happened. Everything was fine. He was really damn tired.

Bucky felt as if he hadn't slept at all. He considered actually refusing to walk the dog but he had promised to do so and Steve would be angry with him if he didn't do it. There had already been enough fights concerning the dog and Bucky really didn't want to start another one.

"What time is it?" , he groaned, rolling onto his back and rubbing his eyes. He'd have to leave his warm blanket fort.

"3:52 AM" , stated Steve.

How? How could it only be four in the morning? Bucky had tossed around for hours. He expected it to be at least seven. And why did Steve force him to walk the dog at freaking four AM? That was really early, even for a dog.

"What?! I was to walk Trauma in the morning and not in the middle of the night!" , protested Bucky. He wasn't an early bird. He'd never been an early bird and after what he'd been through at Hydra and the resulting nightmares he tended to sleep in a lot. Four o'clock was a time beyond human activity amd even further beyond Bucky activity. And that was on normal days when he actually fell asleep. No way he'd get up now.

Steve sighed but there was humour in his voice when he spoke again "I know that this isn't your time but he didn't have the chance to do what he has to do yesterday so I am kind of sure that he'll really have to by now. I'm sorry, sleepy head but you'll have to check on him now. It's your responsibility now."

"Your's too!" , stated Bucky, already knowing that the fight was lost. It would be him who'd have to get up. Steve wouldn't let him stay in bed.

"I know, Buck. But right there and then it is you who's got to get the dog out. And now get moving. The faster you get up the faster you can return to bed" , chuckled Steve. Bucky groaned and rolled out of bed. The foor felt cold under his feet as he left the bedroom (being kind enough not to turn on the light there) and stumbled towards the living room and into the kitchen.

Trauma was still curled up in his trash can corner, but he stirred as Bucky turned on the light and let out a shriek. He'd stepped into something warm and soft and smelly.