Work Text:
Steve blinked awake. No shortness of breath, no coughing, no loud snores coming from the other side of the room.
Just.
Blink.
And he was awake. The sky stretched high above his window, still black, with the faint outline of Brooklyn sidewalk trees being lit up from behind by the street lamps below. A warm breeze came in through the open window and left a fresh coat of goosebumps in its wake across Steve’s skin. The air was warm, as most July nights were in New York, but not uncomfortable. So Steve stayed still. Let himself breathe easy, and as deep as he dared.
After a time he looked across the room to the sleeping lump sagging in the cot across from him. No moon lit up his face. No stray lamplight caught his blanket tonight. Just a dark shape in the room that rose and fell ever so slowly. Steve matched his breath with Bucky’s before closing his eyes praying for a few more hours of sleep before school came. His head was still inclined towards his friend when sleep finally took him.