After refreshing up, Bucky headed out for the kitchen where Steve was already heating up some milk, so Bucky headed for the cabinet to get the cocoa and the marshmallow bag like they usually did in moments like this.

"Leave it, I'll get it done, go rest on the sofa!" Steve started, "I'll bring it up when it's done!" He continued.

"I can do it, I'm not an invalid!" Bucky blurted, "stop treating me like a kid!" He dismissed the conversation by closing the jar forcibly.

Steve didn't comment nor held it against his friend. He was already aware of the short temper that came after every episode, and quite frankly he couldn't' get mad at him even. So he poured the hot milk in two mugs already filled with the powder, gave Bucky's his and took his own to the couch.

Settling in, Steve took the remote and switched the Tv on, and like it was expected of the program, the inevitable question came on screen, whether he wanted to continue watching the previous show or select and new one. The yes or no question popped on the screen, Steve didn't know what to do.

-"You wanna continue or should we look for something else?" Asked Steve

-"whatever man, I don't care!"

With a sigh, Steve pressed 'Yes and the show resumed itself. Feeling Bucky settling himself on the couch comfortably and grabbing the warm leg warmer, eyes locked on the screen for good measure. And Steve knew better than the mind was all the way out at the other hemisphere, so...

Twenty minutes in and Stevie was feeling the weight of his day back on his shoulders, with the way his head literally hung! He kept trying to stay awake. Bucky started to get pissed at his friend's stubbornness and mother-hen-like behaviour. He refused to let him alone even if he regretted it in the morning. And that made Bucky feel more shitty about himself without Steve knowing about it.

-"Stevie, just go to sleep" Bucky whispered! " Please! " He pleaded

-"I'm Ok Buck, just..."

- "No! you're not!" He snorted cutting him off, "You'll be all tired tomorrow and I hate being the cause of it! So please! Go back to your room."

-"But! it's.."

- "I am not a kid!" He added frustration taking over the calm demeanour," Sure I'm messed up, but please don't add to it! It's.. It's hard for me enough being the cause of your messed up lives lately and screwing with your job will seriously add to my shitty self-esteem! So please!"

With a pondering look on Steve's face and visibly calculating what Bucky just said. A defeated sigh escaped his brother's lips while forfeiting and starting to get up without missing the goodnight kiss on his brothers forehead.

At a mid-corridor, he turned to look at the man on the couch when a warm hand pressed to his shoulder.

-"Don't worry, I got him!" Moon reassured him. She heard Bucky talk earlier, with her bedroom door ajar, she heard everything. He visibly relaxed, turning to her to give her a contented hug! He could really relax now.

-"Thank you !"' He sighed. She could feel he was really worried about what the hug expressed! "He shouldn't be alone Moon, and he is too stubborn to let us help!"

-"He is not alone" she dismissed " Go back to sleep, you are not superman! " she joked with a side smile, then looked back at Buck and resumed "And he is right, you work tomorrow"

-"Nop, But a super soldier!" He proclaimed smugly but still, he looked tired!

-"Ugh! yeah sure why not!" She added heading for the main room where the other super soldier was literally drowning.

If he was 'Fine' like he kept on saying, Bucky Barnes would have noticed the two discussing him merely few feet away. If he was 'Ok', He would have noticed the kitchen light switching On, or the telltale noises of someone getting himself a mug and rewarming what's left of the milk on the stove.

But Bucky Barnes was lost in another place, barely noticing what was happening around him. Glassy eyes still locked on the screen, with the two brothers keeping him company while he was roaming the depth of his head like he usually does when left alone.

Surprisingly, It had taken him practically three weeks before the nightmares started in this new apartment. That's probably the longest he'd gone without an episode whats so ever in approximately a year and a half. But he knew they would eventually find him, he can always run for long before they would catch up. But they weren't this intense! Tonight's dream was -in lack of better word -fucked up!

It's disgusting and horrible and he's kind of used to them by now, But the variety of it was new to him. Normally he would be trapped, either can't move or someone playing a doctor on him.

But the worse was always where Steve was at the receiving end like tonight. He was starting to accept that and did his best to live with them but now, Now a new cast was added and that, that was fucked up. He didn't wanna think about that, he didn't wanna think about her ever being like that!

The bloody image of her reaching to her heart and pulling it right out still so fresh and still dancing whenever he closed his eyes. And God! That hurts!

With his flesh hand, he pinched the bridge of his nose and just pressed between his eyes! 'stop thinking about it! stop thinking.'

If he was Ok, the warm hand on his temple wouldn't have made him jump!

Staring at her with nothing left in his eyes but pure, unfiltered fear. He can't form words as he helplessly tries to escape that bloody image. But he was not Ok!

-"God!" He coughed! Finally taking notice of the presence next to him. A myriad of expressions on her face right now, he could read; Concern, pain, heartbreak and ... Pitty! Oh! How he hated that one. But rapidly morphing into something completely different, like she caught herself losing control.

-"Having fun without me I see!" She chuckled! That warm smile never missing plastering it on her face for his sake. That very brave hand grabbing the mug while she seated herself close.

-"Wh..how..?" He started, he wasn't expecting her nor noticed her approaching. what the hell! How could she creep up on him like that!?

-"Whoow!" she started, "You're way far from where I stopped" She continued " Already close the end of the season!"

what was she doing here?

why isn't she sleeping?

To babysit your scary ass, you moron!

-"Did Steve put you up to this?" He growled. He will not let them babysit him like a fucking broken puppy!

-"Ugh! Noo! I wanted hot cocoa" She alleged with an accusing look! " The smell was dancing in front of my nostrils when I was on my bed and well, I don't have much of self-control! so-" She counted "What about you? Breaking the unspoken agreement about Not watching supernatural without me!" She accused! She turned back to the Tv," I thought you wouldn't betray me like that Buck! I'm shaking!" She declared. That fake angry pout front and central!

Bucky was baffled! What the hell is this woman doing? He knew she was outside of his room when he woke up! And he knew she was laying! She was practically every time outside of his room when it happened, and never acting on it because…' because Steve was always with you'...But now, he was alone! And she had no excuse of staying away...

Those two idiots! He was not a baby! God! Why can't he just be normal!

-"why are you doing this? Go back to sleep!" frustration taking the lead. He will not let them do what they wanted with him!

-"And leave you to have all the fun with my babies! I don't think so!" She added with a grin dismissing the conversation by turning the volume up and settling back on the couch under the cover sipping at her hot cocoa.

-"You have work tomorrow! Why are you doing this to yourself?" He sniffed! " I'm f-fine," stuttering the word, 'Nice, couldn't you be more obvious?!'

-" Of course your fine Buck! I couldn't sleep, after hearing you were here, I thought you could keep me company! And you know I work from home lately so chill !" She boasted with a wink and then turned to the TV.

He kept looking at her for a solid minute still digesting her words, accepting that he could do nothing about it, he acknowledged his faith and resumed what the hell he was doing.

He knew what she was doing. Oh, he was not born yesterday, still, acting like it had nothing to do with him, God !stop patronizing me for fuck sake! He was furious and so hurt and goddamn what the fuck is happening with his emotions!? He wants to scream and burst out crying at the same time!I'm not a kid, I'm not an invalid! ' and with her trying to dismiss what she witnessed so frequently was adding to his rage.

He knew her playing dumb was to help and maybe take his mind off things and God he loved her for that, but Damn! why is it making his skin crawl? What are they doing? He literally put her to bed like a couple of hours ago, and now here they were, back in the exact same spot.

Now thinking about it, maybe he shouldn't have in the first place. He wouldn't have had that messed up image forever stuck in his head now!

He settled back giving a chance to the brothers at the back to take his mind of things, after a while, Dean's voice filled the room.

-"Family doesn't' end in blood. but doesn't start there either. Family cares about you, not what you can do for them. Family is there, for the good and the bad, all of it. They got your back even when it hurts, That's family!" Growled Dean in the background like on Cue.

Without taking her eyes off the TV, Moon huffed a proud smile, finally turning to look Bucky, leave it to her' baby' to say the words she needed

.

-"What he said! " Finally looking at him right in the eyes with a determined look on her face.

He closed his eyes and just took everything in, what the hell is she doing to him? What the hell is happening in his goddamn core!? He just wanna stop hurting! And stop hurting the people he cared about just because they cared about him too. Why can't he be normal!? Why can't he just get over his shit! And here she was giving him what he was craving the most, not knowing that he didn't deserve any of it!

The silence was his reply, he buried himself deeper in the grave he was putting himself in and hoping to shut down! 'Just stay away from me or you'll end up getting hurt!'.

Here they both were, right where they were merely hours ago. the only how his train of thoughts was completely different from hours ago, the idea to surprise her with a blast from his past now forgotten. The difference was in the way Bucky was gradually, completely and frighteningly losing hope.