A/N: I absolutely am not recommending people do this in the event someone is having a PTSD triggered flashback. Ask permission before touching them, or you could make the flashback worse.

If you like this story, please check out the Kickstarter for my book. It was made a Project We Love, but I still need all the help I can get.

The link is on my profile page, because won't allow external links.

The Avengers had defrosted Bucky when they found a possible cure, but it didn't work. The brainwashing cure was a wash. Tony had made that joke, and Steve had almost punched him in his perfect veneers.

The cryostasis had actually made Bucky worse. Something to do with a cold cell that he hadn't wanted to talk about.

They couldn't put him in cryostasis again. Steve had asked the Avengers if Bucky could have a room at the compound. Tony had refused at first. He'd put his foot down, and he'd been wearing the suit, so it had nearly broken Steve's little toe, but eventually even Tony agreed it would be better to have Bucky "where they could keep an eye on him."

When Bucky had his first flashback in front of the Avengers, they had consisted of Tony, Steve, Bucky, Natasha, and Bruce. Tony and Natasha were playing Call of Duty. A bomb went off in the game, and Bucky got very quiet. No one else noticed, because Tony got very loud, but Steve always noticed Bucky.

"Guys, shut up!"

"Is this about my language again?" asked Tony. "Because if it is-"

"It's Bucky."

His eyes were glazed over, and his lips were moving, though no sound was coming out.

"Is it a stroke?" asked Natasha. "Bruce, what do we do?"

"Why are you asking me?" Steve had seen both Avengers look less nervous dealing with live artillery.

"You're a doctor!"

"I'm not that kind of doctor!"

Tony left the room. Steve would have been mad if he wasn't so distracted. Usually when Bucky had a flashback, Steve tried to talk him out of it, telling him stories about their childhood. It felt wrong to do that in front of the others, but there was nothing right about this.

"Hey, Buck, remember when-"

Tony came back into the room. He was carrying a tube of Crest Sensitive Toothpaste Plus Scope. He squirted some of it directly into Bucky's mouth.

"What the f-" Steve started, but then Bucky blinked.

"You're having a flashback," said Tony. His voice was matter of fact. "It's not real. Focus on the minty freshness. That's real."

"Toothpaste?" asked Bucky, wiping his mouth. "Really?"

"So you do know what it is," said Tony. He turned back to the game, but Steve noticed he muted the volume. After a moment, and a pointed look from Tony, Natasha picked up her controller too.

That was the fastest Steve had ever seen Bucky come out of a flashback.

He put a hand on his friend's real arm, telegraphing his movements. "You okay?"

Bucky nodded. "I'm fine. I'm going to take a walk around the compound."

His cheeks were pink. He obviously wasn't happy about alll the attention.

"Okay. Better be back before the pizza if you want any. We are dining with the Hulk."

"Not unless you ordered anchovies," said Bruce.

Bucky nodded again and left.

"I call winner," said Steve. When Natasha lost on purpose, he took his place next to Tony.

"So where'd you pick up that trick?" he asked softly.

"TV." Tony didn't miss a beat.

Steve let him have that one. "Well, then I guess we're lucky you're so lazy. Thank you, Tony. I mean it."

Tony scoffed, but his cheeks were pink too, so Steve used the distraction blow up his base.

"That's cheating," Tony whined. "You're an actual soldier."

"So are you," said Steve.

"No, I'm not."

"Hey, when was the first time we went to that schwarma place?"

Even Tony looked confused by the non-sequitur, and non-sequiturs were his first language. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Just humor me."

"I know old people get dementia, but even you have to remember that. I mean, the schwarma wasn't very good, but it was after the Battle of-"

"Exactly."