Chapter Text
The common room was unusually quiet.
Which should have been Bucky’s first warning sign.
Steve was always up early.
Always.
Usually by the time anyone else dragged themselves out of bed, Steve had already run ten miles, showered, and somehow made coffee for half the tower.
So when breakfast came and went without any sign of him, Bucky started frowning.
“Anybody seen Steve?”
A chorus of shrugs answered him.
Tony didn’t even look up from his tablet.
“Maybe he finally discovered sleeping in.”
“Steve?” Natasha asked.
“Fair point.”
Bucky checked his phone.
Nothing.
No texts.
No missed calls.
That uncomfortable feeling started twisting in his stomach.
“Jarvis?”
“Yes, Sergeant Barnes?”
“Where’s Steve?”
There was a brief pause.
“Captain Rogers is currently in the pool.”
Bucky relaxed slightly.
“Okay.”
Then Jarvis continued.
“He is currently submerged.”
The room went silent.
Bucky blinked.
“…What?”
“He is underwater.”
Tony finally looked up.
“Underwater underwater?”
“Correct, sir.”
Bucky was already on his feet.
“How long?”
Another pause.
“Captain Rogers has been submerged continuously for twelve minutes.”
Every Avenger froze.
“Twelve what?” Clint choked.
Bucky’s chair hit the floor as he shoved away from the table.
“Twelve MINUTES?”
“He appears comfortable.”
“Comfortable?!”
Bucky was already moving.
The others scrambled after him as he sprinted from the room.
The elevator took too long.
The stairs took too long.
Everything took too long.
By the time they burst into the pool area, Bucky’s heart was hammering painfully against his ribs.
And then he saw him.
At the bottom of the pool.
Steve.
Cross-legged.
Motionless.
Eyes closed.
Sitting like he was meditating.
Twenty feet below the surface.
Not moving.
Not reacting.
Just sitting there.
Bucky felt every drop of blood leave his face.
“Oh my God.”
Natasha stopped dead beside him.
“Steve…”
The water was perfectly still.
Steve hadn’t even twitched.
Bucky spun toward the ceiling.
“Jarvis.”
“Yes, Sergeant Barnes?”
“How long exactly?”
“Twelve minutes and forty-three seconds.”
“TWELVE MINUTES?!”
Without another word, Bucky started yanking off his boots.
Clint stared.
“What are you doing?”
“What does it look like I’m doing?”
His shirt hit the floor.
“I’m getting him out!”
“He’s probably fine,” Tony said.
Bucky rounded on him.
“Tony, he’s been underwater for twelve minutes!”
“He’s a super soldier.”
“He’s STILL A PERSON!”
His belt followed his boots.
Bucky was halfway out of his clothes now.
Natasha pinched the bridge of her nose.
“Steve is going to hate this.”
“I don’t care.”
“He’ll say he was meditating.”
“I don’t care.”
“He’ll say he had everything under control.”
“I DON’T CARE.”
Bucky was down to his undershirt.
The others backed away slightly.
Because that tone never meant anything good.
Bucky pointed furiously at the bottom of the pool.
“Normal people do not sit underwater for twelve damn minutes!”
“Technically Captain Rogers is not a normal person.”
“NOT HELPING, JARVIS!”
Steve remained completely still.
Eyes closed.
Peaceful.
Like none of this was a problem.
Bucky made a strangled noise.
“That’s it.”
And dove.
The second he hit the water he was swimming hard.
Straight down.
The others crowded around the edge.
Watching.
Waiting.
Bucky reached the bottom and grabbed Steve’s shoulder.
Nothing.
No reaction.
Bucky’s panic spiked.
He shook him harder.
Steve’s eyes flew open.
Immediately confused.
Then startled.
Then extremely annoyed.
Because apparently he hadn’t expected Bucky to appear in front of him at the bottom of the pool.
Steve pointed upward.
Bucky pointed upward more aggressively.
NOW.
Steve rolled his eyes.
Actually rolled his eyes.
Underwater.
And let Bucky drag him toward the surface anyway.
The second they broke through, Bucky was already talking.
“What the hell is wrong with you?!”
Steve sputtered.
“What?”
“Twelve minutes!”
Steve blinked.
“Oh.”
“OH?!”
Water dripped off Steve’s hair.
He looked genuinely baffled.
“I lost track of time.”
Bucky stared at him.
The entire pool deck stared at him.
Steve slowly looked around.
“…Why is everyone here?”
Tony laughed so hard he nearly fell over.
Bucky looked seconds away from either hugging Steve or throwing him back into the pool himself.
Maybe both.
And judging by the expression on his face, Steve wasn’t entirely sure which one was coming first.
Steve floated in the water.
Blinking.
Confused.
While every single person around the pool stared at him like he’d just announced he wrestled sharks for fun.
Which, admittedly, wasn’t impossible.
Bucky looked ready to explode.
“You lost track of time?”
Steve immediately recognized the tone.
It was the same tone Bucky used when Clint had accidentally set fire to the kitchen.
Or when Tony had attached rockets to something that absolutely should not have had rockets attached to it.
Steve winced.
“A little?”
“A LITTLE?”
The entire pool echoed.
Steve sank slightly lower into the water.
Natasha folded her arms.
“Twelve minutes, Steve.”
Steve looked at her.
Then at Bucky.
Then at the others.
“…Was it really twelve?”
Bucky made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a man fighting for his life.
“Jarvis.”
“Captain Rogers was submerged for twelve minutes and fifty-eight seconds.”
Steve blinked.
“Huh.”
“HUH?!”
Tony had given up pretending to be helpful.
He was laughing openly now.
“Buddy, I think your boyfriend is about three seconds from putting you on a leash.”
“Bucky’s not…”
“Don’t.”
Bucky pointed at him.
“Don’t change the subject.”
Steve wisely shut up.
For approximately three seconds.
“I wasn’t in danger.”
Bucky looked at him.
Then looked at the others.
Then back at Steve.
“I am going to lose my mind.”
Steve climbed out of the pool.
Water poured from his clothes as he sat on the edge.
“I can hold my breath.”
“FOR TWELVE MINUTES?”
“Longer if I relax.”
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Even Tony stopped laughing.
“…Longer?” Clint asked weakly.
Steve immediately realised he should not have said that.
“Oh no,” Natasha muttered.
“Oh no?” Bruce echoed.
Steve rubbed the back of his neck.
“Sometimes.”
Bucky looked seconds from collapsing.
“How much longer?”
Steve suddenly became very interested in the floor.
“Steve.”
“…”
“Steve.”
“…”
“ROGERS.”
Steve sighed.
“Twenty-ish.”
The room exploded.
“TWENTY MINUTES?!”
“TWENTY?!”
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN TWENTY?!”
Bucky simply stared.
Like his soul had left his body.
Steve hurried to explain.
“It’s not dangerous.”
Bucky laughed.
Which was somehow worse than shouting.
The laugh of a man who had completely snapped.
“Not dangerous.”
“Not for me.”
“Not dangerous.”
“Buck…”
“You sat at the bottom of a pool for nearly thirteen minutes and didn’t tell anyone where you were.”
“I didn’t think anyone would notice.”
The second the words left his mouth Steve knew he’d made a mistake.
A terrible mistake.
Because Bucky’s face immediately changed.
The anger vanished.
Replaced by something worse.
Hurt.
Steve’s stomach dropped.
“Bucky…”
“You didn’t think I’d notice?”
Steve froze.
The pool suddenly felt very quiet.
Because everyone knew.
Everyone knew those weren’t the words Bucky had heard.
What Bucky had heard was:
You wouldn’t notice if I was gone.
Steve stood immediately.
Water dripping everywhere.
“That’s not what I meant.”
Bucky looked away.
“Sure.”
“Bucky.”
“You disappeared for half the morning.”
Steve took a step closer.
“I wasn’t trying to disappear.”
“Then what were you doing?”
Steve opened his mouth.
Then closed it again.
Because the honest answer sounded stupid.
Very stupid.
“I was thinking.”
Bucky frowned.
“Thinking?”
Steve nodded.
The fight had completely left him now.
“Couldn’t sleep.”
The others exchanged glances.
Steve rarely admitted things like that.
“I came down here early.”
Bucky’s expression softened slightly.
“And?”
Steve shrugged.
“The water was quiet.”
The room went silent.
Because suddenly this made a lot more sense.
Steve spent almost every second of every day surrounded by people.
Noise.
Expectations.
Responsibilities.
Sometimes the only place nobody could reach him was underwater.
Steve looked down.
“I didn’t realise how much time had passed.”
Bucky stared at him for a long moment.
Then sighed heavily.
The kind of sigh that came from loving someone who consistently took years off your life.
“You absolute idiot.”
Steve smiled sheepishly.
“Sorry.”
Bucky stepped forward.
Then immediately wrapped both arms around him.
Hard.
Steve blinked.
Then hugged him back.
Equally tight.
The room collectively relaxed.
“Thank God,” Clint muttered.
“I thought we were about to witness a murder.”
Bucky buried his face against Steve’s wet shoulder.
“You scared the hell out of me.”
The words came out quieter than before.
More honest.
Steve’s smile disappeared.
“Oh.”
Now he looked guilty.
Actually guilty.
Because he’d thought Bucky was angry.
He hadn’t realised how frightened he’d been.
Steve tightened his grip.
“Sorry, Buck.”
Bucky squeezed him harder.
“Next time you decide to become a human submarine, tell somebody first.”
Steve laughed softly.
“Okay.”
“Promise.”
“I promise.”
Above them, Jarvis spoke.
“I have created a notification protocol.”
Everyone froze.
Bucky slowly looked upward.
“…You did what?”
“Should Captain Rogers remain underwater for longer than five minutes, I will notify designated personnel.”
Steve groaned.
“Jarvis.”
“Yes, Captain?”
“Delete that.”
“I’m afraid Sergeant Barnes has administrator approval.”
Bucky smiled for the first time all morning.
A dangerous smile.
Steve immediately knew he was doomed.
Absolutely doomed.