A Bunch of Nothing

Bucky snorted and let himself back inside. Sam listened to him lock the door, then rattle it three times to make sure it was actually locked. The cats got hissy at being awakened and moved, but they each went their own way when Bucky kneeled near them.

"C'mere," he mumbled as he climbed into the bed. He kept one arm held up and Sam shifted near him. Bucky half-laid down, propped up on his hip and elbow. Sam adjusted too, sliding beneath the blanket again, curling up against Bucky's chest even though Bucky was always warm and Sam was on fire at the moment. He wanted the thump of Bucky's heart near enough to feel. He didn't care how much he sweated to get there. "There you go, I've got you. You're alright." Bucky relaxed against him, dropping his arm over Sam's side as they sank together.

"I don't feel alright," Sam said honestly. "I feel like..." Everything in his mind sounded so stupid. It didn't make sense. "I feel wrong," he finally settled on. "I feel like everything I've done is wrong. I don't want to close my eyes again."

"You don't have to close your eyes," Bucky said. "But you do have to lay here at least. You do need rest."

"I keep hearing it. I hear all of it. It just keeps echoing in my head." That, on top of everything else, was making a headache dig into his brain, stabbing and squeezing.

Bucky didn't ask what Sam heard. He didn't have to, and Sam didn't have to talk about it. But a few seconds later, Bucky began to hum. At first, Sam didn't recognize the tune. It was slow and uneven. Like Bucky was really thinking about every note.

Then he began to sing and Sam realized the hesitation was because he was pitching down a song.

"I love you for sentimental reasons. I hope you do believe me. I'll give you my heart."

Bucky had a voice that wasn't going to win him any competitions, but it sank into Sam's chest, curled around his heart like a warm, purring cat, and eased the ache of anything else hiding behind his ribs. Even with a nightmare still clinging to him, he couldn't help but ease a little, found himself sinking closer.

Bucky rubbed his hand over Sam's back gently, slow and firm. "I love you and you alone were meant for me. Please give your loving heart to me and say we'll never part."

The racing pain of his mind ebbed away as Sam focused on the places where they were touching. The way he could feel Bucky's breath as he sang against his hairline. His knee pressed up against the soft muscle of Bucky's thigh. Bucky's arm resting against his as he kept his hand on Sam's back. The way he could feel his own heartbeat right there, right where Bucky was touching the back of his ribs.

"I think of you every morning. Dream of you every night. Darling, I'm never lonely whenever you are in sight."

Sam let out a slow breath, tried to release the last of the tension in his ribs. The bed really was soft against his aching muscles. The blankets were warm, with Bucky right in front of him and one of the cats curled up behind his knees again. The fan overhead spun lazily, catching on spots of cooled sweat. Everything was fine. He was at home and no one was dying.

"I love you for sentimental reasons. I hope you do believe I've given you my heart. "

Sam dropped his forehead against Bucky's collarbone, eyes finally falling shut. His heart thundered for a second, a flash of terror about visions that didn't immediately come back. "I love you too, Buck," he breathed softly. "Could you... Could you keep humming it? Please?"

Bucky didn't say 'yes' or 'of course,' but Sam did get a series of gentle kisses across the crown of his head and a tight hug before Bucky began to hum the song again. Every now and then, he slipped into the lyrics, mumbling them seemingly without meaning to, whispers pressed against Sam's head as they laid together.