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There were not many things that scared Bucky Barnes. He’d been ‘The Winter Soldier’ for years and he’d seen lots of things that would cause nightmares for any normal person. Bucky, however, had been unaffected by most.
Bucky didn’t have many memories of being brainwashed. There were flashes here and there, though, and the things he could remember were horrifying. He remembered that once, when he had disobeyed, he’d been tied up outside as a punishment. It was during a particularly bad storm, and he already had his metal arm. He was struck by lightning four times that day, and resuscitated each time. This caused him to associate thunder with pain.
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It wasn’t uncommon for Steve and Bucky to fly places. Whether for missions or just to take vacations, they flew somewhere at least once a month. They were planning to fly back to New York from Georgia the night Steve learned about one of Bucky’s more prominent fears.
Steve could tell that his boyfriend was on edge. He couldn’t, however, figure out why. There was nothing different about this flight than any other they’d been on. It was delayed because of a storm, but that wasn’t a big deal. Or so he thought.
“You okay, Buck?” Steve asked quietly when he noticed that Bucky was shaking. The former soldier looked up at him, eyes slightly wide.
“Y-Yeah, ‘course I am. Why wouldn’t I be?” he asked.
“You’re shaking,” Steve answered quietly. “You’ve been acting weird all night. If something’s wrong you know you can tell me, right?” Bucky was about to answer when he was interrupted by a loud clap of thunder. He nearly jumped out of his seat, and that’s when Steve realized what the problem was.
“The storm?” he inquired. “You’re the one who used to comfort me during storms. What’s the matter?” Bucky gave Steve a look that said it all. The blonde man immediately pulled his boyfriend into his arms and kissed his hair.
“It’s okay, Buck,” he whispered. “It’ll be over soon.” Bucky closed his eyes and clung to Steve. He was rarely this open and vulnerable, usually it was only after nightmares. He was glad to be in his Captain’s arms.
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The two spent the remainder of the storm like that, cuddling in the airport waiting section. It was a relief for both when the thunder finally subsided. Bucky didn’t speak until they were seated on the plane.
“Hey, Steve?”
“Yeah, baby?” Steve answered softly.
“Thank you.”