Hi! Thank you all for reviews, follows, and favorites!

So, the direction I am taking this story is going to be taking place in AOU, but with changes, such as Bucky and Sam being here, certain deaths won't happen, things like that.

Something else is that I am planning on having Clint still be married to Laura, have his kids and his farm, but I'm not going to have Bruce/Nat be canon. I really hope I don't upset anyone with this. So basically the only romances there will be are just Tony/Pepper and Clint/Laura although there won't be a lot of that. Mainly Steve and Bucky friendship. I really hope this doesn't upset anyone!

Tony had kept his word. He hadn't told anyone about Bucky's whereabouts nor was he going to. But it didn't make Bucky feel any safer. Bucky curled deeper into a ball as he laid silently in his bed, thinking about the events that had passed last night. Yes, Tony understood that the man that was currently living in his home, that was Steve's friend, is not the same man that killed Howard and Maria. Yet deep down, Bucky had a feeling that Tony was expecting him to revert back into that man. He didn't trust him. "And he shouldn't." Bucky thought to himself.

Bucky sighed loud enough to get the attention of Steve, causing him to turn over to his left side on the bed and be able to face Bucky. "You okay?" Steve asked softly, knowing the answer as he gazed compassionately to his emotionally-drained friend. After weeks of nightmares and panic attacks, both men silently agreed to stay in the same bed. It wasn't strange or awkward, if anything, it felt more safe and protective. It felt like home.

"No." Bucky answered truthfully in a small voice, not looking Steve in the eyes. He was ashamed. Ashamed that he was the one who brought this all down on them, on his best friend. The man who was the equivalent of the word "brother" to him.

Bucky bit his bottom lip hard enough to almost draw blood. If he had just died when he fell from the train, none of this would have happened. He would be causing Steve all this pain, he wouldn't be fighting his friend Tony for broken Bucky.

"Buck," Steve started slowly, testing the waters. "What did you remember, back when I was hurt, and I couldn't breathe…did you remember something?"

Bucky nodded eagerly. "You looked different, but I know it was you…You were hurt, you couldn't breathe…" Even though it was a memory from his life, it wasn't much fun to see his friend bleeding out and looking like he had lost a lung.

Steve nodding understandingly. "It was pretty difficult back then, but the serum changed that."

Bucky said nothing, indicating he wasn't ready to keep talking. Steve reached out to Bucky, letting his hand hover over Bucky's arm, silently asking of touch was okay. Bucky looked up and started scooting closer, allowing Steve's gentle fingers to connect with his arm, which was answer enough.

"What do you think of leaving?" Steve asked suddenly. "Not the building." He quickly corrected himself at Bucky's worried look. "Just the room? Get a change of scenery might help. It did before…" Steve didn't finish, unsure if Bucky wanted to hear about his past self.

"I don't want to leave the room." Buck muttered like a sick child, moving the top of his head to rest against Steve's chest.

"I know bud." Steve sighed, moving his arms around Bucky's back comfortingly. He held him close, moving his cheek to rest against the top of Bucky's hair. The gesture never failed to comfort both men. They stayed in comfortable silence for a long moment before Steve broke it with a suggestion. "How about we just go to the roof? You can be away from people but still be out."

Bucky swallowed nervously at the thought of being out in the open like that. There were too many openings for an attack. Twelve, by his counting…yes, the tower was safer than any other place they know of but Bucky hated the thought of being out in plain sight…But if Steve wanted to go out, then he would. "Sure."

"We don't have to-" Steve started, sensing some discomfort from Bucky's body language.

"No, it's okay." Bucky shook his head, moving his neck to give a small smile at his friend reassuringly. "It's a good idea." Bucky added although his brain was screaming badwrongdangerprotectstevenonononono

Steve grinned at the thought of leaving the room. Yes it was a bigger than normal room but he needed to get out of there, and the fact that Bucky was okay with leaving made him excited.

CATWSCATWSCATWS

Tony sighed as continued to look down at the table, purposely looking away from the judgmental eyes that belonged to the one and only Bruce Banner.

Normally Bruce would listen and offer words of encouragement to the parties involved, but between Tony rebuilding all his destroyed suits again and needing Bruce's help, AND suddenly finding out that SHIELD was really a secret organization that was bent on worlds domination, Bruce wasn't in a good mood.

"What did you think was going to happen if you attacked Steve?" Bruce demanded, his green tea stayed untouched by his side. "The man has been brainwashed and tortured for decades, and you go after the one person who's helping him get better?!"

"Well, for one thing I thought you would be on my side of this." Tony mumbled, rubbing his eyes and praying that Bruce would tone his voice down a bit. God, this hangover was a pain in the-

"I'm not against you, Tony." Bruce tried to lower his voice down, breathing calmly before looking back to Tony's red eyes. "I'm not saying you are not supposed to feel how you feel, but to blame either one of them? How drunk were you?"

"You see those three empty six packs of beer over there by the garbage?"
"You aren't helping, Tony."

"Look, Bruce," Tony groaned. "Just support me for a second, then go back to yelling at me, okay?"

Bruce pursed his lips together in a firm line before his eyes softened and he nodded understandingly. "Fine…" Bruce agreed. "So…when did you find out that the Soldier was the…killer?" Bruce was unsure how to dub the man's deed when Tony answered. "I figured out he killed my parents around two days ago."

Bruce gave a small wince at the bluntness but continued. "What do you want to do?"

"I want to find everyone involved with their murder and let whatever happens to them happen." Tony said coldly, gripping his hands together in his anger.

"And what are you going to do?" Bruce asked quietly.

After a few moment of silence, Tony hung his head down slightly. "If Steve trusts him…truly does…then I won't say anything…I don't know much about him, but I know enough to say with conviction that Steve wouldn't let a killer walk free unless he had a damn good reason."

Bruce listened intently, hanging on to every word.

"Barnes seems like a good man…God, who am I kidding, he's like a scared little kid half the time." Tony looked up to face his friend, his eyes begging him to understand. "I should hate him, I should hate him with every fiber of my being. I want to hate him…But I don't."

Bruce cautiously brought his hand up to rest on Tony's shoulder, nodding. "I understand." The kind contact seemed to help Tony, balance him even. The truth slipped past his lips before he even knew it was true.

"I want to help him." Tony said, disgust in his tone. "I want to help the man who killed my mom and dad. What does that make me?" Tony looked at Bruce desperately for answers. He needed an answer, needed to know what he was supposed to do. Tony always had an answer for everything, even when he was a toddler, if he wanted to do something, nothing could stop him from doing it. He never needed to ask for advice, he would follow his instincts and damn the consequences…but now he had no idea where to even start.

Bruce's eyes never left Tony's. Searching for the right words to tell Tony the reality. "Tony, what you are feeling…it's good."

Tony's brows lowered in confusion until Bruce explained. "You know that he murdered your parents, but it wasn't him, it was Hydra. And I get it. You need someone to blame…the rest of Hydra is not even close to being found yet, so you're after the next best thing in your mind."

"Why do you have to make so much sense?" Tony glared at his friend before reaching over and stealing Bruce's tea, gulping it down in one swallow.

Bruce shrugged, looking at his friend kindly. "It's a gift." He said lightheartedly.

Tony scoffed, leaving Bruce feeling proud that he was able to help, even in a small way. "Well," Tony sniffed, getting up from the table while still holding Bruce's mug. "I should be getting back to work." Tony gave a halfhearted smile before walking back to their shared lab.

Bruce leaned across the table to make sure Tony was gone, before he sat back down sadly on the chair, knowing that his friend was still suffering. And he needed someone he was closer to that could help him. Bruce awkwardly cleared his throat before saying to Jarvis "Hey, um, Jarvis? ...Could you call Pepper please?"

Again, I am very sorry for any grammar mistakes! Thank you for reading!