Requested by a user on Archive of Our Own. Takes place during Nightingale, chapter Sixty.

"She's not okay Steve," Bucky said softly. "She's very, very far from being okay."

His tone was grave and it sent a shiver down Steve's spine. He didn't know all the details about Doctor Frasier's life but the few he'd gleamed from Sharon after she'd been shot were horrid enough.

"Is there anything-" He began, but was cut short as the apartment door opened and the same woman they were talking about appeared. She looked sick, pale and close to collapsing. Steve half wondered if he should get up and get her laying down on the floor to avoid injury.

"Hey," she whispered, her voice hoarse. "Steve, not that I'm unhappy to see you but," she breathed deeply, "would you mind leaving us for a while? Please?" She met his gaze and Steve noticed that her eyes were red and gleaming with unshed tears. That unsettled him a little, he'd never seen that woman cry before. Nor had he really thought she had the ability. Every time he'd spoken with Mel, she'd always seemed so hard, walled up and closed off. Tears contrasted directly with that image he'd once had. Seeing it was strange, it made her far more human than Steve had once thought. Whatever happens next, he thought, getting to his feet instantly. This isn't something I have a right to see. If Doctor Frasier had hit her breaking point, Steve didn't have the right to be there and watch. She didn't need a former patient and a perfect stranger, she needed someone who knew her, someone she trusted and that was Bucky.

"Mel," he said, nodding at her as he passed. Knowing what she'd done for him, saving his life after DC and what she'd done for Bucky soon after, Steve wanted to pay it forward if he could. He doubted it would happen, but he at least wanted to try. "If there is anything I can do for you-."

"Thank you, that's very kind," she said, speaking far too fast and with a voice that was far too high. Steve sensed her breaking point wasn't far off and practically fled, closing the door firmly behind him.

Son of a bitch, he thought, shaking his head as he walked down the hall. This is a complete mess. Sharon had always spoken highly of Doctor Frasier, loved her like a sister and would never hear an ill word against her. Now she knew that she'd been wrong, that her beloved friend had been hiding a huge secret from her. Steve felt a little smug at that, knowing he'd been right that the surgeon had been hiding something but he felt terrible that Sharon had to learn that the hard way. She'd been betrayed, just like he had been by her and now, twice over. By both Mel and himself.

I'll go check on her, he decided as he approached the apartment. Just to make sure she's okay and if she wants me to leave I will. I can crash on Sam's couch for a few days. Give her some time to herself.

With his course of action in mind, Steve opened the door and entered the apartment cautiously. "Sharon?" he called, shutting the door behind him. She was on the couch, legs curled up to her chest, her face pressed against her knees. No crying, so that was something as far as Steve was concerned. "Hey," he sat down on the far cushion, giving her plenty of space. "I know I'm probably one of the last people you want to see right now and you've got every right to feel that way. I lied to you, whatever my intention was and it was wrong and I'm sorry. So be mad at me, kick me out if you want, but I just want you to know that if you need me, I'll...I'll be here if and when you decide you want me around. So yeah, I uh, just wanted you to know that."

Steve got onto his feet, face burning. Not for the first time in his life, he wished he was a little more like Bucky. He'd always been good with words. He was about to take a step towards the door, fully ready to crash on Sam's couch but Sharon called after him.

"Steve."

He turned his head, wincing internally as he heard how soft and brittle Sharon's voice had become. It wasn't like her at all. "Yeah?"

She lifted her face up, resting her chin on her knees. Her cheeks were flushed and blotchy. She'd been crying. "You were right."

That wasn't a sentence he was used to hearing from her. "What?"

"You were right," Sharon repeated, chest heaving as a tear trickled down her face. "You were right about Mel. I should never have trusted her. You were right all along." She laughed, the sound bitter as she wiped her fingers across her face. "I won't hold it against you if you want to gloat."

Steve sat back down, this time sitting closer to Sharon. This didn't sound like a dismissal to him. "Why would I want to gloat about something that's upset you?"

"Because I hurt you too?" Sharon offered, sniffling. "I lied to you about Bucky."

"I lied to you about Mel." Sharon winced as he said the name and Steve made a mental note of that. Mentioning Doctor Frasier was a bad idea. He'd have to avoid that for a while. "We both lied and we both tried to do what we thought was in the best interest of someone who was in a bad place and needed help. We're even." He sighed as he saw a few more tears run steadily down her face. He'd only seen Sharon this upset once and it had been at Peggy's funeral. He was just as helpless now to comfort her as he'd been on that day. "I'm sorry. And I promise, I won't lie to you again. If I have something I can't tell you, I'll just tell you that it's not my story to tell. Fair?"

"Fair," Sharon agreed, giving him a weak smile but it faded in a matter of seconds. "I don't think I can handle another person I care about lying to me. Not after this." She took a breath and her whole body shuddered and Steve had the strong feeling she was trying very hard not to cry.

You took your sweet time to kiss her, Bucky's voice sounded off in his memory. Don't make the same mistake twice. "I do care about you Sharon, a lot." Steve took a deep breath. Facing down Nazi's Hydra agents, aliens and robots he had no problem with but trying to say 'I love you' to Sharon was terrifying. Yes, that made perfect sense. "I love you."

"What?" Sharon looked at him dully and Steve realized he hadn't been heard. He sighed and grabbed at whatever was left of his courage.

"I love you," he said again and he saw Sharon's eyes widen. This time she'd heard him. "And I know this is not the most ideal time to tell you that, but I want you to know anyways." He gave her an awkward grin. "So if you're still mad at me, you at least know I haven't stopped caring. And that I won't stop caring, no matter what we're arguing about the next time we fight."

Sharon laughed again. "Hope we can get a bit of a break before then. Fighting with you is exhausting."

He smiled and grabbed her hand, heartened when she didn't draw away. Brushing a kiss across her palm, Steve spoke up again. "What happened?" He knew pieces of the answer already but wanted to give her a chance to talk if that was what she needed. Sometimes just being able to talk things out helped to make sense of them. He'd discovered that during his two year search for Bucky.

Sharon made a soft noise of objection. "I don't want to talk about it. I don't even know how I feel about all this. I don't know if I want to scream, cry, break something, eat an entire tub of ice cream or have a reunion with my old friend Jack Daniels and get rip-roaring drunk."

"Whatever you want to do," Steve told her as more tears soaked his shirt. "I'm right here. And I don't think I have any whisky here, but I'm sure Sam does. I can track it down for you."

Sharon laughed again, crying harder than before. "I don't want to drink right now. Then I'll just have to deal with a headache on top of all this."

Steve wasn't entirely sure what "this" was but he didn't ask. Whatever Doctor Frasier's flaws, she had been right about forcing people to talk before they were ready. It never worked. He wasn't going to press Sharon, he was going to let her come to him on her own. "Then what do you want?" he asked. "Is there anything I can do?"

"I want you to hold me for a bit." Sharon said softly. "I just need you to be here."

Steve pulled her closer so that she was leaning against his chest. He had a feeling that was more comfortable than his shoulder. "I can do that."

Sharon settled into him and she closed her eyes. "Thanks. Steve?"

"Yeah?" he asked, stroking her hair. That was something Sharon liked when she felt bad. Steve had discovered that when she gotten the stomach flu. He'd taken care of her then, he wasn't sure whether or not that counted as a first date.

"I love you too."

Thanks for reading! :)