Although being the New Avengers meant you were all a team, all working together - it didn't stop everyone from doing things their own way. But that was respected. Everyone had their own skillset and their own experience in fights, it was all of your differences that made you so capable of working together, after all.

However, it was almost unanimously decided that there would be one person holding the reins and keeping everyone in check. And that, of course, was Bucky.

He had the most experience out of everyone, 90 years of fighting under his belt would help with that, and he spent enough time with Steve to pick up on the ins-and-outs that made a leader. Though he could have only hoped to be half the man Steve was.

It did seem to take a toll on him, though. At first, he was good at hiding it; he'd just brush off everyone's concern with an 'I'm fine' and half-assed smile. They all called bullshit immediately, but knew not to pry. Bucky was incredibly protective of his feelings at the best of times.

Eventually, it had managed to chip away at Bucky's resolve - the missions, the leadership, the media and the press. He felt like all the pressure would soon make him snap, so he decided to shrink away into himself a little and not risk taking it out on every one else.

The private floor of the Watchtower was fairly empty, everyone was either out or in their rooms, so Bucky took a chance to be alone in the lounge.

However, that quiet was soon broken when he heard you enter the room.

He really didn't have the energy this time to hide his fatigue, and looked over at you from behind the couch, his body slumped into the pillows and his arms draped across the back.

"Hey..." He sighed, letting his head drop back as he stared up at the ceiling.

"Thought you would've been roaming around with everyone else. Always something new to find in this place." He added quietly, trying his best to shift the subject from something other than his painfully obvious exhaustion and how his mouth curled down into a fixed frown, matching with the deep bags under his eyes.