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sjsmith56 · 27 days

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None Shall Sleep

Summary: Bucky comes to the aid of his neighbour one night when he hears her crying after breaking something in her apartment.

Length: 5 K

Characters: Bucky Barnes, Sam Wilson, named but not described OFC, minor OFC, Pepper Stark.

Warnings: Description of eye surgery (personal experience), trust issues, Bucky feeling inadequate, health insurance company assholes.

Author notes: Inspired by this video of a tenor who sang Nessun Dorma (from the opera Turandot) accompanied by a flash mob orchestra in a German bookstore. The video showed up on my FB feed but I’ve always loved this piece, as it’s full of passion. My description of the opera is taken from the internet. https://fb.watch/pE60YHrtsM/? I’ve been to one opera in my life (La Boheme) which I enjoyed. Bucky is a big softy in this one shot which ends very romantically.

👁️ 🎶 🌖

Sam carried the last box into Bucky's new Brooklyn apartment, taking note of the high ceilings and windows this place had, compared to his old place, the small studio apartment. With the settlement for his back pay, and damages for what had been done to him awarded from the now unfrozen assets of Alexander Pierce and several other high ranking HYDRA officials, James Buchanan Barnes was finally in a position to live in a manner that he deserved. Buying this apartment was the start of his new beginning. He also had plans to take some college courses so that he could prepare for a life that didn't involve using just his physical attributes.

"This is really nice, Bucky," he said, as his friend came out of the bathroom with an empty box, pulling the tape off the bottom so he could flatten it. "Pepper found this place for you?"

He looked around. "Yeah, it is nice. Still has enough of the old features like hardwood floors and finishes, vintage claw foot tub in the master ensuite bathroom, mosaic floor tiles in both bathrooms. Feels familiar but it's mostly modern so it should last a long time. Not sure how the other owners feel about me living here but no one's said anything yet."

"Why would they?" Bucky scowled without answering. "Hey, your money is as good as theirs. You're quiet, you're not a criminal, and honestly, it will likely make criminals think twice about trying to break in. I'm sure you'll be attuned to everyone's coming and goings pretty quickly."

"You calling me a busybody?"

At least he said it with a grin. It was true. His bad sleeping habits meant he was often awake at night, watching out the window for anything out of the ordinary. Knowing his neighbour's habits came easily to him but wasn't always understood or appreciated by them. Still, his previous landlord and Pepper Stark wrote character references for him when he first applied to buy in the building.

A week later he had met several neighbours, finding most of them quite nice. It surprised him on the one night when he heard crying from his nearest neighbour's apartment, a woman he hadn't met yet. At first, he listened carefully for any sounds of fighting or abuse, but it sounded more like frustration than anything else. Then he heard the sounds of something breaking and jumped out of bed. Approaching her door, he listened carefully again then knocked before speaking.

"Hello? Is everything alright? I heard the sound of something breaking."

He could hear the sounds of someone approaching the door.

"Who are you?" Her voice sounded both anxious and upset.

"Bucky Barnes. I just moved in next door. I could hear you crying but tonight sounded like you broke something. I can help."

"Fuck." He could barely hear her swear. "Hope he's not an asshole."

With the sound of her locating the locks and turning them, he waited, only to be surprised by the sight of a woman with both eyes heavily bandaged.

"I'm sorry if I woke you," she said, extending her hand outwards, not quite in the right direction. "As you can see I have temporarily lost my sight. I'm supposed to have someone to help me but they haven't showed up for the past two nights and that's left me trying to fend for myself."

He took her hand gently in his, squeezing it then releasing it.

"Well, I'm here and I can help you if you wish."

"I know I broke something, and I stepped on it." She lifted one foot, that seemed cut open. Spreading her hands helplessly, she began to cry again. "Could you just help me?"

"I'm going to pick you up and carry you to the bathroom," replied Bucky. "You have cut your foot. I can take care of bandaging that. Then I'll clean up what you broke. After that, we'll see what more I can do for you, okay?"

She allowed him to pick her up in his arms, carrying her into her bathroom, where he placed her on the counter. Returning to his place for his first aid kit, since she only had a kit of bandages for her eyes, he gently cleaned her foot in the sink, then checked the wound for any pieces of the broken glass.

"What's your name?" he asked, as he applied some antiseptic to it.

"Roberta," she replied.

"That's a pretty name," he smiled. "How long have you lived here?"

"About a year. I sublet from the owner. You just moved in?"

"Yeah, a week ago. If it's not too personal, may I ask about your eyes?"

She lowered her head. "I was mugged, hit my head pretty hard on the pavement. It gave me a concussion and partially detached the retinas in both eyes, so I had to have surgery to fix them. It sounds kind of gruesome, but they had to empty the eyeball of the vitreous gel to do it, then used a laser to seal the tears, and then a bubble of gas to reinflate the eye was inserted to keep the retina in place. As the gas is absorbed into the body, the eye replaces the gel with new liquid, but it takes about six weeks for it to heal properly. This past week I had to sleep on my stomach at the hospital, face down so that the bubble stayed at the back of the eyeball and kept the retina from detaching again. I had an aide to help me at night for the first two nights when I was released, to make sure I didn't flip over onto my back, but she didn't show up last night or tonight. Since I can't see, I can't call my insurance company to find out what happened to her and the woman they got for the daytime doesn't speak much English. She just cooks and cleans for me."

He listened, fascinated by the medical process that would restore her vision, knowing that during the 1930s the success rate for repairing that was abysmal.

"When were your eye dressings last changed?"

"Two nights ago," answered Roberta. "I was trying to do it myself because it felt gross, but I knocked something over and it broke." She lowered her head as if she was looking at the floor. "I just feel so helpless. I'm sorry I woke you up."

Once again, he took her hand in his.

"I'm a lousy sleeper and was already awake. You stay here while I clean up then I'll see if I can help change your dressings. Is that okay?"

She nodded, waiting patiently for her neighbour to return. At least he sounded nice. Bucky wasn't a common name, perhaps it was a nickname. Carefully, she listened as she heard him sweep a broom over the floor and into a dustpan. The running of water was followed by the sound of a cloth being wiped over the floor, presumably to clean up the blood from the cut in her foot. Then she heard the sound of footsteps approaching.

"Just me," he said, before he entered. "Everything's cleaned up out there. Now, how do I take care of your eyes?"

She told him to boil some water first and let it cool, then add a little salt to help with cleaning. He left coming back a few minutes later. He washed his hands, then unwrapped the larger bandage which released the plastic eye shields that protected her eyes. Under them were gauze pads, which he carefully peeled off. All she saw was the light of the bathroom, and the bubble of gas inside her eyes which kept her repaired retinas in place. Everything else was blurred or distorted.

"It's pretty red," said Bucky, his face close enough to hers for her to smell his aftershave. "Is that normal?"

"Well, it's pretty invasive eye surgery so I guess it is. If you could take some clean gauze and dip it in the boiled water, as long as it's not too hot, you can clean the guck off, gently."

Patiently, she waited as he did as he was told, slightly surprised at how gently he cleansed her damaged eyes. She noticed the sound of whirring and that one of his hands was warm and the other cold, which she brought up.

"I have a prosthetic arm and hand," he explained, hesitantly at first. "It's a very high tech one. I'm kind of the only person in the world with one like it. It functions almost like normal, but they can't make it feel warm, or mask all the sounds it makes. I'm thankful for it but I worry about how people see it."

Roberta smiled. "Good thing I could only hear it and feel it then," she said. "Although, I bet it's impressive looking. Is it a prototype?"

"I guess," he admitted, then she was aware his face was further away. "Okay, that looks better. What's next?"

"There's a tube of ointment," said Roberta. "If you pull the lower eyelid out, you can squeeze a small portion into each one and distribute it a bit. That's to heal the incisions." She waited while he did it. "Okay, new gauze to cover my eyes, then the shields over top. Just check that the shields are clean. They can be cleaned with soap and water if they have anything on them."

She smiled as she heard the sound of water, assuming that the shields needed cleaning. Then they were placed over her eyes, and she held them in place as Bucky wrapped the bandages around her head to keep them there. By his silence, other than his breathing which seemed to shift slightly as if he was moving his head, Roberta assumed he was checking his handiwork.

"How is that?" he asked.

"Feels great," she answered. "Thank you."

"Is there anything else I can do for you? I'm guessing anything involving the eyes are out."

"I wouldn't mind listening to some music," she answered. "My phone is around here somewhere. If you could open the playlists, I could choose one. You're welcome to stay if you're not sleepy."

She felt his warm arm circle around her waist as he helped her off the vanity, then he placed her hand on his arm as he led her out to the living room, telling her when they were a couple of steps away from the couch. He joined her a moment later, as he placed her phone in her hand.

"Needs to be unlocked."

"Oh, it's set to Face ID which won't work with these bandages. If I give you the code, do you promise not to go snooping?"

"Scout's honour." She could just feel the smile from him.

After giving him the code she waited while he opened her playlists, then he began listing them off. When he got to her guilty pleasure one of opera, she told him to choose that.

"I'm a bit weird, I know," she joked. "Not many people my age like opera but it was something my dad and I would do every time the Met put on a new one. We always had discount tickets, would go for dinner, then to the opera. Dad loved it and it was time well spent with him before he died."

"I'm sorry. You must miss him."

"I do. He died of cancer just five years ago."

The sounds of La Traviata came on and he smiled as she relaxed, slightly leaning into him. She quickly told him the plot of the opera and encouraged him to close his eyes and lose himself in the singing. There were several other arias from other pieces that played then another came up and she straightened a bit.

"This is one of my favourites," she said. "It's called Nessun Dorma, from Turandot. A disguised prince falls in love with a princess who is indifferent to him. To win her hand a suitor must solve three riddles, but if he gets any of them wrong, then he will be executed. The prince succeeds but she still refuses him, so he challenges her to guess his real name, which would allow her to put him to death. If she doesn't then she must marry him."

"Does she?" asked Bucky.

"That's the mystery behind this opera," said Roberta. "The composer, Puccini, didn't finish it as he died, so no one really knows if he meant this to have a happy ending or a tragic ending. This piece, Nessun Dorma, means none shall sleep, as the princess commands everyone to put aside sleep and find out the prince's real name. Whether she found out and chose to reveal it or not is one of the great mysteries of Turandot. Both endings have been used, written by other composers."

He listened with her, finding it a stirring piece of music. As they listened to several more, he became aware of her breathing becoming deeper and more regular. Roberta had fallen asleep. Gently, he extracted himself from beside her then remembered what she said about sleeping with her repaired eyes. Going to the linen closet he pulled out some towels and rolled them into position on her bed, to surround her face, keeping it off the surface of the sheets. Then he returned to the couch and gently lifted her into his arms. She whimpered a little and buried her face in his chest.

"You smell good," she whispered, sleepily. "I like it."

"Thank you," he whispered back.

Gently, he positioned her face down, making sure that she was set in a way that was comfortable but allowed her to breathe. Then he covered her up with her bedcovers and turned off the light. Returning to his apartment, he laid on the couch, falling asleep until the morning.

Knowing that Roberta wanted to phone the insurance company about the aide not showing up, Bucky woke up early then listened carefully to any signs of the young woman getting up. When she did, he went over and knocked on the door, waiting as she approached. Instead, it was another woman who opened it and he looked at her a little surprised. She spoke Spanish, identifying herself as Maria, the daytime helper who cooked for Miss Roberta. Addressing her in Spanish, Bucky identified himself, waiting while she checked with Roberta before she let him in.

"I thought you might want me to help phone the insurance company," he said when she came out of the kitchen. "Find out what happened to your night-time aide. I also speak Spanish if you want me to tell Maria anything."

"Yes please, to both," said Roberta. "Thank you for putting me to bed last night. I actually had a good sleep because of how you arranged the towels. How did you know how to do it?"

He shook his head. "Just seemed right."

She gave some instructions for Maria, which he passed on, then dialled her insurance company for her, placing the phone on speaker so she could talk to the agent. When she told them the aide hadn't shown up for two nights they disputed her account, saying the woman had clocked in. Bucky frowned as he listened then asked if he could speak.

"Hi, I'm Roberta's neighbour," he started. "I can't say about Monday, but your aide was definitely not here last night because I heard Roberta crying after she broke something and cut her foot open. I looked after her, cleaning her eyes and changing her dressing. She wouldn't be phoning to complain if your employee actually showed up, don't you think?"

"Well, our employees are very professional and whose to say that you aren't lying on behalf of Miss Paxton?" said the woman on the other end.

Roberta's face reddened when she heard that, and Bucky felt his own irritation grow at the insinuation.

"Well, why don't I give you the name of someone to verify my identity," he said. "If you would be so kind to contact Pepper Stark at Stark Industries, I'm sure she can vouch for me."

"Your name, sir?"

"Bucky Barnes, currently one of the Avengers. My full name is James Buchanan Barnes."

There was no sound from the insurance agent for a moment. Then there was a little cough, and she came back on.

"I will make that call and get back to you, Mr. Barnes," she said. "Will you be at this number?"

"Yes, I'm not going anywhere."

He hung up and placed the phone on the table. There was silence between them until Roberta extended her hand towards him. Gently, he took it and held it.

"You're really him? I didn't quite hear your last name when you came in last night."

"Yeah, I'm him, the former Winter Soldier. Once we get this cleared up, I won't come around anymore, if my presence makes you uncomfortable."

"No, I mean, I would like it if you came over. I enjoyed your company. You were kind to me and let me talk about opera and never once interrupted. That's more than most men have ...."

She coughed, then began to cry and Bucky reached into his pocket for his handkerchief, then looked at it, realizing her eyes were still bandaged. Maria looked at him, whispering in Spanish that perhaps an arm around the young woman would be acceptable. With a slight smile to her he did just that and pulled Roberta close.

"I'm sorry. I'm kind of predisposed to being rejected and kind of jumped the gun on your reaction to who I was."

His phone rang and he fished it out of his pocket, seeing that it was Pepper. He explained to her why the insurance company was calling, smiling as she expressed dismay that they would leave a woman without home care when she was basically helpless because she couldn't see.

"If they don't send anyone, I'm happy to help her," he said to Pepper. "Roberta is very nice, and we got along just fine."

"Well, if they don't send someone, or if no one comes, you let me know, and I'll hire a small team myself to help her out."

He passed on the message to Roberta, who thanked Pepper profusely, then hung up, expecting to receive a call from the insurance company. When it still didn't come an hour later, they phoned again, were put on hold then the call was dropped. At that time, Maria came out of the kitchen with her phone, looking like she had bad news. With a halting voice, she told Bucky she was laid off, as Miss Paxton's insurance policy had been cancelled. Worriedly, she looked between Bucky and Roberta.

"Hold on, Maria," he said in Spanish. "You won't be laid off, I promise. Wait with Miss Paxton while I make another call."

After telling Roberta he had to make a private call he headed out to the hallway and called Pepper to pass on what he had learned. She swore profusely, then he heard a large exhale of breath from the executive.

"Alright, I'm assembling a team to take over Miss Paxton's care, and you tell Maria she now works for Stark Industries starting at twice the measly pay they were probably giving her. Then I'm calling my lawyer and getting them on the sudden cancellation of her policy. They can't do that, and I won't let them get away with it if I have to buy the company myself. Don't you worry, Bucky. We'll take care of Miss Paxton while you're on mission." She hesitated for a moment. "Okay, I wasn't supposed to say anything, but you'll be getting a call shortly."

Returning to the apartment, he broke the news gently to Roberta, then assured her that she would be looked after. He also told Maria she still had a job, with Stark Industries, sending the woman into her own joyful expressions that someone would do that for her. As she thanked him enthusiastically for his help, he received his mission alert from the Avengers and looked at the readout. He had six hours to report for duty.

"Well, I have some sad news," he stated. "I'm being called out for a mission, but you can take Pepper Stark's insistence on a team to look after you as the complete truth. She'll make sure you're taken care of while I'm gone."

"How long will you be gone?"

"I don't know but we can talk whenever I have a chance," he replied. "Give me your phone and I'll put my information in."

He entered his information in her phone then did the same to his. Then they sat together on the couch. Her hand slowly inched its way towards his and he held her hand while they waited. An hour later, the doorbell rang, and the first member of Roberta's care team, Julie, arrived, along with a contract for Maria to sign that she explained fully to the woman. He stood up, then began to walk towards the door.

"Bucky, can I see you privately for a moment?" asked Roberta, then she blushed and grinned. "You know what I mean."

Julie took Maria into the kitchen, leaving the couple alone. Hesitantly, Robert lifted her hands towards Bucky, and he took them, holding them in his hands. She stepped closer, until there was barely any space between them. Raising one hand to his face, she cupped his cheek as he watched her intently.

"Thank you for taking care of me," she murmured. "You're a very nice man." He began to protest but she placed her fingers on his lips, and he instinctively kissed them, bringing a smile to her lips. "You are a nice man and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. When you get back, I would like to see you again. I don't know many nice men and I kind of want to keep you around."

If she could have seen it, his smile likely would have dazzled her. With his free hand he brushed some hair over her shoulder then leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips.

"I would like to see you again, Roberta," he answered. "You're a very nice lady and I don't know many. You let them take care of you while I'm gone, okay?"

She nodded and they kissed again, for longer and with some feeling. Then he caressed her face and left to get ready for his mission.

Two months later.

Carefully, Bucky looked at himself in the mirror of his apartment, satisfied with his haircut and the trim of his beard. After making sure his tie was right and that there were no white cat hairs on his black suit, he turned towards the window. Alpine, the stray kitten he found on the mission and brought back with him, watched from her cat tree in front of the large window. He confirmed he had his wallet and his car keys, then checked the inside pocket for the tickets, smiling at how excited Roberta would be when he told her where they were going.

"What do you think, Al? Do I look good?"

A cross between a meow and a trill greeted him, confirming that he did indeed look good. Leaving a light on in the living room, he gave the kitten a quick stroke on the head, then left, locking the door behind him and walking to the apartment next door. He could hear opera playing in the apartment and smiled, then knocked loud enough to hear the music stop and footsteps approaching the door. It was opened and for a moment he was dazzled at the vision in front of him. Roberta was in a form fitting black dress that seemed to glitter like the night sky. Its open neckline highlighted her collarbones, and a hint of décolletage completed the top part of the dress. A long slit on one side showed off her shapely leg, along with the strappy-heeled sandals she wore.

"Wow! You look amazing," he said, leaning forward to kiss her on the cheek. "Pepper helped you get that dress, didn't she?"

Roberta blushed. "Maybe. We've become good friends, I think. So, we must be going somewhere fancy because you're looking good as well."

"Darlin' I always look good," he grinned, then his face grew soft as he came closer. "I mean it. You look like a dream and I'm the luckiest guy alive."

They kissed and she used her thumb to wipe off the lipstick that transferred to his lips. Taking her lipstick out of her clutch she reapplied it then waited as Bucky approached with her coat, helping her put it on. They held hands on the elevator down to the parking garage, where Bucky held the car door open for her until she was belted in, and he got in behind the wheel. As they passed over the Brooklyn Bridge, he told her to close her eyes so that it was a surprise. When he pulled up in front of the Metropolitan Opera House, he reminded her to keep her eyes closed. After helping her out, he handed his keys to the valet, then whispered in her ear.

"Open your eyes."

She opened them, ignoring the camera flashes from the paparazzi and seeing they were in front of the Metropolitan Opera House. A big smile appeared on her face, and she looked up at him.

"It's Turandot, isn't it?" she asked. "You got tickets?"

He nodded, then took her hand into the crook of his arm and began to walk to the entrance. There were several calls of his name, and he stopped once, to the sounds and flashes of multiple cameras going off, then they turned away and continued inside. After dropping off her coat at the coat check, they went up the staircase to the Parterre, where they were shown their seats, two in the front row of the left center box. Two programs were already waiting for them, and he watched with an amused smile as she excitedly read it through. When the music started, she watched the performance intently, occasionally glancing at him and squeezing his hand.

At the intermission, they went out and ordered champagne for her, bourbon for him, sipping it as several celebrities approached them, introducing themselves. Bucky was polite but reserved, his attention directed all towards Roberta. The second half of the performance was just as enthralling as the first, especially when it came to the performance of Nessun Dorma, which drew a standing ovation and cries of "Bravo" for the tenor who sang it. Bucky watched Roberta's face as she sat, enthralled at the whole experience. When it ended and the theatre started to empty, she sat bright eyed, still staring at the stage until she turned to him.

"That was amazing," she enthused. "I've never seen it before, and it was everything I ever hoped it would be. Thank you."

"You're welcome," he smiled, standing and offering her his hand. "Now, we can go to dinner, or we can pick up some takeout and have it at your place. I'm good either way. Which do you prefer?"

"You really don't mind takeout? These sandals are beautiful, but I'm not used to them, and I wouldn't mind changing into something more relaxing."

"Takeout it is," stated Bucky, as they approached the coatcheck and he helped her on with her coat.

On the drive back to the apartment building, they held hands, stopping only when they picked up some Chinese food. They were both quiet on the elevator ride to their floor. Inside her apartment, Roberta left Bucky to open the containers as she disappeared into her bedroom, coming out in a pair of leggings and a soft tunic. He took his jacket off, draping it over the back of the chair, then slipped his shoes off. They both ate a good portion of their food, then Roberta winced when she stretched her one foot, noticing she had a blister forming. Putting his food aside, Bucky switched positions on the couch and gestured for her foot, gently massaging it. As he ran his hand over her foot, he rubbed her ankle then her calf muscle, watching her intently.

"Stop," she whispered.

He stopped. Carefully, she shifted closer to him, ending up on his lap. Looking at his tie, she loosened it enough to raise it over his head, then unbuttoned several buttons on his shirt, placing one of her hands on his upper chest.

"Stop," he murmured.

She stopped, still perched on his lap, close enough that she was well aware of the warmth of his body radiating through his shirt and the hands that rested on her thighs, in addition to the bulge already forming in his pants. They gazed at each other then Roberta leaned closer.

"None shall sleep," she said softly.

"You're sure?"

"Very sure."

Slowly, he ran his right hand up her body to her neck. Placing his hand at the back of her neck he pulled her closer then wrapped his arms around her as they kissed passionately. They explored each other's lips and mouths thoroughly, before pulling away, each of them a little breathless. Lifting herself off of Bucky, Roberta went over to her phone and brought up the opera playlist then turned off the light and stood in front of the couch, offering him her hand. He kissed it, then raised himself off and picked her up in his arms.

"You smell good." Her eyes were luminous in the dark that was lit only by the moonlight coming in the floor to ceiling windows. "I love you."

He smiled softly, kissing the top of her head. "I love you, too."

To the sound of her favourite arias, Bucky carried Roberta into the bedroom where neither of them slept until much, much later.

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One shots Masterlist.

#bucky barnes #bucky barnes fanfiction #buckybarnes original female character #sam wilson #bucky barnes oneshot #opera #Turandot #Nessun Dorma #romantic bucky #eye surgery

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