You’d always known that James Buchanan Barnes came as a package deal.

From the moment you first saw him on a Brooklyn street corner, laughing with a scräwñy blond boy who could barely hold his own against a gust of wind, you understood that Steve Rogers would always be part of him.

At first, you didn’t mind. The way Bucky’s eyes softened when he looked at Steve told you everything about his loyalty, his fîërce protectiveness. It was part of what drew you in, that steadfast heart that refused to let anyone fall behind.

But w@r has a way of magnifying fault lines.

One night in London, after a long day of missions and marching orders, you found yourself sitting with Bucky in the corner of a quiet pub. His hand was warm around yours, his smile tired but still dazzling. For once, it felt like the world outside could wait.

Then Steve burst through the door. He looked hälf-dæd from exhaustion, uniform tœrn, but when Bucky saw him, he dropped your hand instantly.

“Steve,” Bucky breathed, moving to him in an instant, concern etched into every line of his face. “You’re supposed to be resting. What the hell happened?”

You sat back, invisible, as the two of them spoke in hurried voices. Whatever fragile peace you’d had with him vanished, replaced by that gnawing reminder, you would never come first.

Later that night, you confronted him. The rain pounded against the barracks roof, the shadows stretching long across the wooden floor.

“You can’t keep doing this,” you said, your voice sharp even as your chest ached. “Running to him every time. Leaving me behind every time.”

Bucky froze, water dripping from his hair. His jaw tightened. “He needs me. He always has.”

“And I don’t?” you shot back.

The silence that followed was unbearable. Finally, he looked at you, really looked at you and for the first time, you saw the cracks in his bravado.

“You both need me,” he said softly, stepping closer. “And I don’t know how to be enough for the two people I love most in this world.”

The words broke something inside you and mended it all at once.