Bucky woke me with his screaming. His pained cries of terror shook me to my core and I sat bolt-upright in my bed, looking towards the wall that connected our two rooms together.

I swung my feet out of bed, disturbing Toby who was sleeping at the foot of my bed. I flung the door open and Max raised his head, yipping at me in confusion and following me as I rushed down the hall towards Bucky's door.

I flung it open and saw Bucky caught up in his sheets, thrashing about in his more-than-restless sleep. I tentatively took a step towards the man, unsure of whether or not to go to him, though, one more scream of terror was enough for me to close the distance between his bed and I.

I unsurely place a hand on his shoulder and whisper his name. The super soldier's eyes shoot open and his arm raises to grab my hand in his closed fist. Max growls from the floor and I hold my free hand out to him shakily. Bucky's breathing is rapid and his eyes are wide.

"Who are you?" His voice is low and terrified, empty and hollow.

"It's me, Buck, it's Y/N," I say softly, trying to keep my voice calm even though I was shaking on the inside. Bucky's eyes were fear filled and he desperately tried to take in my features.

"I don't know who you are," he snarls, tightening his grip on my hand and Max growls threateningly, startling Bucky, who pulls me onto the bed, pinning me down, his metal arm now clamped around my neck.

Max jumps up onto the bed, stalking towards Bucky and I struggle to hold a hand out to the wolf.

"Max... no," I choke out through my strangled breaths and the wolf barks again, growling, making Bucky tighten his hold in retaliation.

"Who are you?" He asks again forcefully.

"Y/N Y/LN," I choke out, my hand going to Bucky's metal one, desperately trying to free my neck from his grip. It tightens for a moment and I close my eyes, trying hard to suck in more air.

Then the pressure on my throat is lifted and I gulp down breaths of air, wheezing and coughing. I prop myself up, rubbing my throat as I take in Bucky's state.

He was sat on the edge of his bed, head buried in his hands and he tugged at his hair. It was only now that I noticed his bare chest and I flushed, looking away from him.

"Bucky?" I question quietly and the solider looks over at me blankly. "Are you okay?" I question tentatively and I can hear how rough my voice sounds. He keeps on looking at me with uneven breathing and eyes wide.

"Steve," is all that he manages to get out and I nod straight away, pushing myself off of his bed.

I rush downstairs, Max following me, rubbing against my legs as I stopped outside of Steve's door, knocking on it before letting myself in. Steve sits up, rubbing his bleary eyes.

"Bucky needs you," I tell him in my scratchy voice and Steve immediately seems to wake up, throwing on a shirt that was lying discarded on his floor and stands up.

Steve enters Bucky's room alone before pausing and turning back to me.

"Thank you for waking me up, and for waking Bucky up," he says and I just nod. His gaze shifts to my neck and his eyes widen slightly.

"Don't worry about it, Steve," I say hoarsely before entering my own room.

The next morning the first thing that I do is go down to the medical centre. Dr Jameson takes in my appearance looking shocked and immediately ushers me towards a chair.

"Care to tell me what happened?" She asks and I open my mouth to talk, only to find myself unable to form coherent words as a result of my voice being too croaky. "Maybe another time then, Y/N" she says, trying to laugh though she can't hide her grimace. "Those Avengers are nothing but trouble," Dr Jameson sighs in frustration shaking her head as she treats the finger-print shaped bruises on my neck from Bucky's hand.

"They're alright," I manage to get out just as she finishes but Dr Jameson shakes her head adamantly.

"You're free to go, Y/N. Just don't talk too much, alright? Rest your voice," Ginny prescribes and I groan, nodding.

In the kitchen on the first floor most of my friends are awake and getting breakfast.

"What the hell happened, Y/L/N?" Jordan asks, looking at me in shock and I just shake my head, wheezing a laugh. "I'll make some tea," he says in confusion and I nod at him gratefully, sitting down at the table, next to Steve and Sam and opposite Bucky who doesn't seem to be able to move his eyes up to meet mine.

Maria comes in mid-way through breakfast and just takes in my appearance. Fury seems to radiate off of her as she studies my injury.

"They can't stay," she hisses in disgust and everyones eyes snap towards her.

"Maz," Evan says, trying to calm down the girl but Maria holds her hand up to silence the boy. Toby trots in the door behind Maria and everyone's gaze shifts onto the wolf. I click my tongue and his attention snaps to me, bounding over and sitting by the side of my chair.

"Look at what they did to Y/N," Maria's tone is deadly and cold, her eyes never leaving my neck.

"I'm fine," I try to say but the words come out croaky and unheard.

"They can't stay," Maria repeats more firmly and Lilian sighs at her, knowing that Maria is unlikely to win the argument.

"You're just looking for reasons for them not to stay," Lilian says, standing up and grabbing her now empty bowl. "We get hurt almost ever day of our lives, Maria. Leave them alone," Lilian offers me a small smile before shifting into a dove and flying out of the room, leaving behind a pile of clothes as usual.

"Maria. They're staying," I say a little more forcefully, not paying attention to the pain in my throat as I say the words. Maria sighs audibly and walks out of the room agin, severely pissed off.

"I really am sorry about last night," Bucky says to me quietly, looking up and I give him a small smile, nodding.

"Don't worry about it, Buck,"