I Thought You Were Different: Part 6

Determination

Just beyond the frame of the doorway of the next room, Bucky stood completely silent, with Sam at his side and holding him up as if he could drop to the ground at any moment. What Tony was saying about his friend couldn't be real, and neither man was willing to accept it as truth without talking to Steve or you first. They were his best friends, and there was nothing in the universe that would stand in their way of saving him if this was really the end that he was facing. He had done the same for them so many times that there was no way in hell that they wouldn't be the first in line to return the favor.

"Come on, Sam. We need to go."

"Buck, let's just go in the morning," Sam argued gently. "Becca's gonna need us to talk her through this tonight. The kids look like they're taking this really hard, and we won't know any more until tomorrow anyway. Maybe we can call (Y/N) so we can all go together?"

"I want to go see him now, Sam," Bucky continued to argue. "He doesn't know what he's saying, and he's no good for himself when he's alone. Steve does stupid shit when he's on his own, you know that as well as I do."

"I'm not saying that I don't agree, okay? I just want you to take a breath and think this over. Our daughter needs us right now, more than Steve does, and you know that he'd agree with me. He'd never want us to put his needs before hers."

Of course, Sam was right, and Bucky didn't mean to argue something that has so obviously true, but he was caught up in the emotions of it. They had come close to losing Steve before, but it never truly had the feeling of finality like this. The look on Tony's face when he made the announcement left him terrified, and it was a sensation running through him that held no comfort.

"Fine," Bucky relented, "let's go talk to Tony then. I can't just sit here and not know more."

"Fine, let's go." Sam steadied his grip on Bucky, who still looked as if he could crumble at any moment, leading him out and towards the kitchen where Tony had made his way to find something to soothe his own nerves. The two of them entered the room and stopped abruptly at the sight of a man who was falling apart but refusing to allow it. Tony's hands were shaking like they had never seen before, but when the first swallow of coffee hit his tongue, it was almost as if it were a magic potion that Sam found himself longing for to have the same effect. "Hey, Tony," he greeted softly, "how you holding up?"

"Hey, guys," he greeted without so much as a glance their way, "I'm just fantastic." A few silent moments passed, leaving him no choice but to look up to draw more out of the duo, but at the sight before him he lowered his cup with his mouth hung open in surprise and a new wave of worry hitting his nerves. "Barnes, you look like hell. Are you okay? You feeling anything weird?"

"I'm fine," Bucky waved him off dismissively, "it's just a tough night. Where's (Y/N)? Is she staying the night at the hospital?"

"No, she's out driving...somewhere. She asked me to turn off her trackers, said she needed some time to herself."

"So you did?"

"Of course, I did," Tony snapped, tossing his spoon into the sink with a loud clang, "she's an adult, Barnes. So is Steve. I'll do anything that they need, even if that means taking a step back, and you both know that's not really my style."

"It's not mine either," Bucky agreed readily. To hear that he wasn't the only one who wanted to take action gave him a renewed sense of energy, and he shook his husband's grip away to take a step closer. "Stark, listen to me. You know that those two are shit at making any decisions when one of them is in trouble. They can't be without the other, and you'd think that they'd know it more than we do, but they obviously don't. (Y/N) needs to be with him, and he needs her at his side. One of them is going to do something stupid because they always do, and you know that. If you've let her off the grid, you've just opened up her freedom to hit a new level of idiocy."