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“Steve?”
”Steve!”
Bucky’s voice finally cut through to Steve. His eyes became a little more aware as he looked up, blue eyes meeting blue.
There was something wrong. Bucky knew it. Steve was zoning out, his face pale and breathing was clearly difficult for him.
Bucky knelt down in front of the blond who was sat curled up on the floor of Stark Tower. Not an odd sight some seventy years ago but now…this was strange for the super soldier.
The brunette rested a hand on his knee causing Steve to flinch slightly.
“I need you to breathe. It’s gonna be okay Steve. Just in, and out.”
Bucky slowed down his breathing and made it clearer for Steve to follow.
“Just copy me, okay? In…out. There we go…you can do it.”
Steve through his haze tried to copy, as his breathing slowed, mimicking Bucky’s his eyes focused more.
“What happened?”
Steve looked away.
“It’s nothing Buck. I’m fine.”
Bucky’s gaze hardened.
“You’re not fine. That looked like a panic attack or something Steve. Just…let me help, stop being so damn stubborn.”
Steve sighed. “I…I dont know. There was a crash and i- I just-“
He couldn’t finish his sentence instead choosing to pick at the skin around his nails.
“Did you ever…go to therapy?”
“Therapy? Why would I?”
Bucky rolled his eyes and sat down fully, knees crossed. “Oh I don’t know, because you were in a war and then woke up sixty odd years later and started fighting super villains.”
It was Steve’s turn to roll his eyes now. “I don’t need therapy buck. I’m just gonna go to bed.”
The former winter soldier looked irritated now.
“Steve. I go to therapy. Trust me…it helps.”
Steve’s eyes widen, his mouth agape as his head shoots up to look at Bucky properly.
“You… you go to therapy? What-“
“Stark made me. It was that or I didn’t get to stay. What’s important though is that you get some help. It’s not unlikely that everything has given you PTSD or something.”
The blonde huffed. “I don’t have PTSD. I’ve fought since. People with guns. Loud noises. I’m just tired…the crash from the kitchen probably just startled me.”
Bucky’s gaze softened.
“Stevie…just because you didn’t immediately get a reaction from fighting doesn’t mean nothing is wrong. You haven’t been sleeping well and have been stressed which is more likely to cause something like this.”
“What do you suggest I do then? Immediately just get up and go find some therapist?”
“You can if that’s what you want. But…for now just let me help you. I missed doing this.”
Steve let out a resigned “fine.” Before allowing Bucky to help him back to his feet.
Bucky took him down the hall into his room which Steve hadn’t properly been in before.
He takes Steve over to his bed and gently helps him onto it. He climbs in and wraps his arms around Steve before pulling him to lay down.
Steve relaxed into the touch, his eyes closing. Bucky pressed a kiss to his forehead.
“Hm.”
Bucky chuckled. “What, you liked that?”
“…yeah.”
Bucky lifted Steve’s chin to press a loving kiss to his soft lips.
They stayed like that for a while, Bucky holding Steve and whispering praise into the blondes hair. Eventually Steve promised to get help not long before falling asleep. Bucky followed not long after.
It wasn’t perfect but for now, Steve was okay. And Bucky would do anything to keep it that way.