AN: This story is similar to my one shot, Into the Ice. It's based on the Mirror Trilogy by May Deitrick, where her main character, Carina, is afflicted with teh same curse I have given Steve in this fanfic. It is similar to my story Into the Ice. They could be read as companion pieces if you wanted to. The curse is explained in the story, but for futher clarification, it is based on the Snow Queen by Hans Christian Anderson, where the troll mirror got into people's eyes and hearts and turned them dark. Only in May Deitrick's story, it also gives them ice powers and immortality. While I was reading it, I thought about Steve and thought: "Hey, what if this is the real reason he survived the ice?" I don't know how good this is going to be, but I hope it's enjoyable. Just remember, when the curse starts afflicting Steve, it's not his fault. He's not in his right mind. Should he ever escape it's influence, he will feel awful for anything he does/says while under its influence. For anyone who is interested in the Mirror Trilogy books, the first one can be found on Amazon. It's super good and it deserves way more attention than it's getting.

Steve was cursed.

It wasn't something he asked for, but they were the cards he was dealt. Just like his poor health problems and his scrawny frame, Steve inherited another genetic problem from his father's side of the family: a curse.

A long, long time ago, there lived a woman named Estere, or as she was better known now in fairy tales no one believed were real: the Snow Queen. She was walking along one day when an enchanted mirror known as the Troll Mirror, created by the devil, fell from the sky and shattered. The pieces of the mirror got into her eyes and heart, but rather than kill her, they cursed her. She developed ice powers and a cold heart filled with nothing but hatred. She looked upon the world and saw disgusting, revolting creatures and landscapes. Everything was hideous except things that were cold: snow, ice, frost, etc.

Estere fled this world and into a dimension she called Wons. She didn't want to exist in this disgusting world, though occasionally, she would venture back into it. And one time, when she did, her eyes found a young boy named Kay. Kay was beautiful. She saw nothing terrible when she looked upon him; it was like looking at the falling snowflakes.

Estere had to have him.

So, she kidnapped him, let him grow older, and then cursed him too to insure she could never lose sight of his beauty. Eventually, the two of them had a daughter named Rosa.

Years later, Kay was rescued by his childhood friend and love, Gerda. She gave him true love's kiss and his curse broke. They took Rosa, too. But the Snow Queen vowed that she would have all her descendants, that the curse was genetic and those among them who inherited the curse would come with her.

And she was right. The curse was genetic, some descendants did inherit it and they did turn just as dark and evil as the Snow Queen and they left with her. But unlike with Kay, true love's kiss didn't work anymore. No one really knew why, but the theory was that since they were born with the curse, they were born with the inability to feel true love. And therefore, the curse could not be broken.

And Steve was one of the cursed. He knew this because he had never cried real tears. The cursed could sob dryly, they could cry out, but tears could never roll down their cheeks. Blood would, though, when the curse triggered and after they succumbed to it. It's why Steve's father hated him. Not only had the man never been the same after the Great War and he got hit by mustard gas, damaging his lungs, but he hated that his only son was destined to be a monster. So, he drank. He beat Steve and his mother, Sarah until the day his lungs eventually gave out on him.

Then Steve's mother died, too, leaving him alone.

Except for Bucky. Even when Steve had nothing, he had Bucky. They were best friends, practically brothers, and they treated each other like they would treat a brother if they had one.

So, when Steve was being pummeled into an alley one day and his curse triggered, Bucky found out about the curse, and rather than run in fear, Bucky vowed to him that he wouldn't let him succumb to it, that he wouldn't let him become the monster Steve feared becoming.

Bucky kept his promise. Any time Steve felt the effects of the curse trying to turn him dark, Bucky would calm him down. It got to a point that Steve would go months, even up to a year, without ever feeling the effects.

It was a miracle. The combined efforts of Steve's own determination and goodness and Bucky's stubbornness to not lose his best friend to a "stupid snow curse" as he called it, they kept the curse at bay for a few years.

And then the war came. Bucky enlisted and when he told Steve not to do anything stupid until he got back, he didn't just mean: "Don't get yourself killed". He also meant to not let himself fall into the curse. Bucky wasn't only worried about Steve going to war because it could get his weaker friend killed thanks to all his health problems, but he was afraid the warfare would enrage the curse and he would lose his friend to it if he didn't lose him to a bullet or a bomb.

But Steve did enlist. He joined the super soldier program and became Captain America. Then, he rescued Bucky from the Hydra base and the Howling Commandos formed.

The curse never once reared its ugly head.

Until Bucky died. Until Steve fought the Red Skull. Until Steve had to say goodbye to Peggy and crash his plane.

He took comfort in the fact that at least he was dying and not turning into a monster made of ice, even if he would rather have a third option.

But then he crashed into the ice. Then he felt the water and knew it should be ice cold, knew it was freezing him, but he couldn't feel it. He was cursed, so he couldn't feel it. His own ice was creeping out, freezing it his surroundings, freezing him…

A scream tore from his throat and he became encased in the ice, blood frozen in the water around his eyes.

And then he knew no more.

Until SHIELD found him. Until he woke up. Until he realized he'd slept seventy years.

But he was fine. The curse seemed… dormant again. He hadn't succumbed. But he still could.

And he was determined not to let it happen no matter how many battles SHIELD threw him into. He wouldn't let himself become a monster.

And for many years working with the Avengers, he was able to keep his promise.

Until he ended up on the Raft.

AN: Let me know what you guys think of this! I hope it was enjoyable :). I'll have the next chapter up soon.