When Peter sat down for breakfast, there was an energy in the air that told him something was different. He had planned to skip breakfast that morning, but Tony had invited him to work in the lab beforehand to ensure Peter made it down for the meal.

"Now this is how you breakfast," Rhodey said triumphantly as he revealed the various pancakes, eggs, sausages, and breakfast potatoes. Peter made a small plate of fruit and some scrambled eggs, doubting he could stomach anything more. Tony decided to step in and plopped a blueberry pancake on Peter's plate.

"Rhodey makes the best blueberry pancakes in existence. You have to try one," Tony encouraged. Peter hesitated but took a bite just to appease the inventor. The mix of tart and sweet made Peter hum with delight, and before he knew it he had finished off the pancake. Tony and Rhodey shared a look of satisfaction. Thor told some stories of mischief he and Loki had gotten into as kids in Valhalla. Peter was distracted by the anecdotes and ended up finishing his plate (including the hash-browns and pieces of sausage Tony had slipped onto his plate). Breakfast ended, plates were cleaned, and the team began to head their separate ways. It was Steve's turn to step in. The super soldier clapped Peter on the back.

"I've got a new computer I could use some help setting up. Tony says you're a much better teacher than he is, and patient too." Peter laughed and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"I'll see what I can do." Steve and Peter spent the morning chatting about Queens and how nothing had really changed. Bucky joined them, opting to share some embarrassing stories about Steve, who returned the favor in turn. Steve checked his phone to see texts from Tony asking for some ideas on training simulations. The veteran stood and smoothed his shirt.

"You two carry on, I've got duties to attend to." Steve saluted to Peter with a wink before heading to the door. Peter saluted back with a grin. Once the doors shut, Bucky reached out to grab Peter's raised hand.

"What's this?" He asked. Bucky pulled back Peter's sleeve to reveal a horizontal scar across his wrist. Peter pulled his hand away and covered his wrist with his sleeve.

"It's old," the teen mumbled, refusing to make eye contact.

"How old?'

"About 2 years." Peter wasn't sure why he answered. Bucky had this understanding gleam in his eyes that made Peter feel like anything he said, the man could match with his own experience.

"Why?" Bucky asked simply. Peter bit his bottom lip which had healed since he last tore it up.

"Uncle Ben had just died. The last thing we ever did was fight. I could've been there to save him, but I was being selfish and stupid. I couldn't handle the guilt." Tears dripped from his cheeks onto his lap. Bucky rested his hand on Peter's shoulder.

"You lived. That means someone wants you here." Peter laughed humorlessly at the statement.

"Some passerby found me in an alleyway. I knew I couldn't have May find me, th-that it'd be easier if she thought I'd just run off. Then I woke up in the hospital and ran home before they had the chance to identify me. That's when I became Spider-Man. I decided I would have to repent for Uncle Ben with the power I was given." Bucky was silent, he wasn't sure what to say.

"Please don't tell anyone, especially Mr. Stark," Peter begged," I won't do it again. People need Spider-Man." Bucky felt a pang in his heart. The kid just admitted to only being alive because he was Spider-Man. He didn't seem to notice how much he deserved to be there.

"It's not my story to tell," Bucky answered simply. He was a man of few words, but Peter understood what he meant.

"Thank you," Peter said genuinely. Bucky nodded and removed his hand from Peter's shoulder, wondering how Steve would have handled the situation.

A few days later, Peter and Bruce entered the dining room for lunch, chatting enthusiastically about the experiment Bruce was working on. The table had various sandwiches. Everything from light tea sandwiches to meatball subs drenched in gravy.

"Are these not adorable human foods?!" Thor exclaimed with delight.

"Thor thinks sandwiches are humans making tiny feasts and therefore are absolutely adorable," Clint explained as he selected his food. Peter decided to stick with a few tea sandwiches and some fries. He felt as if his body was still processing breakfast. Peter caught the look that Tony and Steve shared and felt a bubble of panic in his gut.

"Hey, Peter, have you tried one of the roast beef sandwiches? I usually order them when I work late nights in the lab," Bruce suggested.

"I'm sure they're great, Dr. Banner, but I'm not that hungry." Peter could feel the atmosphere at the table shift. Everyone was chatting as if all was well, but their eyes shifted to Peter and his plate. The teen couldn't eat like that.

"Mr. Stark, do they know?" Tony's eyes flashed with panic. Before he could answer, Peter cut him off.

"They do know. You told them. I can't believe you told them," Peter said in disbelief as he stood.

"Tony was only doing what's best for you, Peter. He's trying to keep you safe," Natasha chimed in. Peter shook his head and furiously wiped away tears of betrayal.

"That's supposed to be MY story to tell," Peter unwittingly quoted Bucky.

"And it still is! Peter, I only told them what I saw." Tony tried to save their quickly sinking relationship.

"That was enough for everyone to think I'm some kid that needs to be watched! I don't want— I CAN'T be a burden." Peter briskly left the room. The Avengers sat at the dining table wondering how to fix the mess they had made.

Peter hastily put on his Spider-Man suit and opened his window.

"Peter, Mr. Stark has not permitted you to patrol," FRIDAY warned," I will have to inform him of your departure." Peter nodded and leaped from the window, swinging aimlessly through the city. He was halfway to Queens when he received an incoming call from Tony. Peter declined the call.

"Mr. Stark has requested that you return to the Tower," KAREN informed. Peter ignored the message and took a seat on top of the nearest bridge. He watched boats pass by in the water beneath him. Everything was quiet. Everything was calm. And, for some reason, there was a little voice in the back of Peter's mind that said "jump." Peter leaned a little further over the edge of the beam he was perched on. He'd just do a small swan dive, shoot up a web, and swing away before he could ever touch the water. All rush, no risk. He tipped forward a little further. He was just about to drop when his phone buzzed in his pocket. Peter was ready to send Tony to voicemail again, but the caller ID said, Bucky Barnes. Peter didn't know why, but he answered it.

"Peter?" Bucky's voice came through the speaker and eased him ever so slightly.

"Bucky."

"Are you okay?" They both knew the answer already, but his question went past those 3 simple words. Peter understood what he was really asking.

"I don't know. I'm on a bridge. I'm not sure what I'm going to do. I don't know, I don't know." There was a moment of silence on Bucky's end.

"Okay. Let's decide what you're going to do right now." Peter swallowed thickly, he didn't notice he was crying until now.

"Yeah, okay."

"Where are you on the bridge?"

"On a beam at the top." Peter could hear Bucky's sharp inhale as the man tried to stay calm.

"Alright, step one. Let's climb down the bridge. Down to the sidewalk on the side of the bridge road. Can you do that?"

"Yeah, I can do that." Peter climbed down to the sidewalk of the bridge and held on to the railing to steady his trembling legs.

"I did it," the teen informed. Bucky let out the breath he was holding.

"Now, you need to go somewhere safe." Peter panicked, thinking that Bucky would ask him to return to the Tower.

"I'm not ready— I can't go back— Bucky, please, I—" Peter was hyperventilating, unable to finish a sentence.

"Woah, Peter, calm down! Just breathe." Peter tried to control his breathing. Bucky waited until the teen's breaths were more even before speaking.

"You don't have to go back to the Tower. Steve and I have a little apartment in Brooklyn. You can stay there until you're ready. Tell me where you are and I'll come to pick you up."

"Just you?" Peter asked cautiously.

"Just me," Bucky promised, "nobody knows you picked up my call, Peter. It's just me and you, okay?" The tension started to leave and exhaustion settled in. Peter read aloud the name of the bridge and took a seat on the cold concrete. It may be summer in the city, but the bridges were always cool.

"Just stay there, I'm on my way." Bucky kept Peter on the line as he drove just in case. The drive to the apartment was silent. Peter stared blankly out the window the entire time. Bucky led the teen up to the decent Brooklyn apartment. It was 2 bedrooms, one bathroom, and probably expensive as hell but Tony insisted on paying the bills. The genius insisted that it was so he could "kick Capsicle out when he was being too self-righteous." Bucky closed and locked the door behind him before going into the small kitchen. He rummaged around in cabinets until he found a coffee tin with the label scratched off.

"It sounds weird, but Steve would always make me a cup of this 'magic cocoa' whenever I had a panic attack. There's nothing magic about the drink, it's just Swiss Miss in an old coffee tin. But, somehow, I always felt better," Bucky explained as he handed Peter a mug. The duo sat on the couch in silence, drinking their cocoa.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Barnes," Peter finally spoke up. Bucky set down his drink on the coffee table.

"Why? You didn't do anything wrong." Peter shook his head and gripped his cup. The drink was still steaming, which meant the teen was burning his hands. Bucky silently pulled the mug away from Peter's hands and set it on the coffee table.

"You shouldn't have to come to save me. I'm Spider-Man. I'm supposed to be the hero." Peter wrung his hands, rubbing on the burns. Bucky gently grabbed his wrists and pulled the younger's hands apart.

"Stop that. You're punishing yourself for no reason."

"There's always a reason!" Peter burst out, his eyes shining with unshed tears.

"There's always a reason," he repeated and bowed his head in defeat.

"We can't carry everything on our shoulders," Bucky began.

"But, I'm Spider-Man! I can't let everyone down just because I feel sad!" The super soldier spotted the theme in Peter's reasoning.

"I feel the same way." Peter was silent with shock.

"Y-you do?"

"Every single day. And, you're right. I can't let everyone down because I'm sad. But, at the same time, you can't make every single person on Earth happy. Once I figured that one out, it only made me feel worse."

"How did you get it to stop?"

"I didn't. Not entirely. But, I made it easier." Peter listened intently, his baby blue eyes wide with hope for the first time in a long time.

"I'll tell you one thing that I know for certain. I sure as hell didn't do it alone. Steve was the one who picked me up off the floor, comforted me after nightmares, and this," he gestured loosely to the mugs and the two men's position. It didn't seem possible, but it felt all too real at the same time.

"He gave me the same talk. It knocked some much-needed sense into me. We started small, so you and I can start there too."

"How?" Bucky looked Peter in the eyes.

"Pick someone you see almost every day." Peter thought for a moment.

"Mr. Stark."

"Okay, what does it take to make Tony happy when you're around?" Peter fell silent as he thought. Tony beamed just because Peter was in the room. So, what did it take to make him happy?

"I guess just me being there," Peter finally answered. The older man smiled in that subtle way that was so unique to him.

"I said the same thing about Steve." Bucky settled one hand on the back of the couch and released the other from holding Peter's wrist.

"Now, you just have to make one person happy today. You just have to make Tony happy. Don't worry about everyone else, we'll get to them later." Peter relaxed somewhat, it was mostly exhaustion.

"We don't have to go back any time soon. Here." Bucky patted the pillow resting against his thigh, gesturing for Peter to rest his head. The teen obliged without hesitation and was soon dozing off with his head in the lap of the Winter Soldier. Bucky wasn't entirely sure what to do at that point. He remembered Steve doing the same for him, but Bucky, like Peter, fell asleep at that point and didn't remember what happened then. Bucky settled for running his fingers through the curly mess of chestnut hair.