Summary: This time Bucky has to do what Steve has always done for him.

Most people would think his greatest trauma was the whole 'losing-the-arm' thing. Well technically it is, but he's left out a very important, very crucial detail to this whole story.

Yes, Bucky's team did walk into an IED causing the death of several of his men plus the sacrifice of his own arm. He just forgot to mention that the IED was on top of a building… and he may or may not have fallen off said building and almost lose his right arm in the process.

Losing the arm was pretty horrific and all (still is), but he's got quite a big fear of heights now too. He has some slight acrophobia and might even be diagnosed with vertigo as well. Not that he got himself checked out or anything. He's never told anyone either, but he has had a few close calls. Sam has tried to convince him to go on more roller-coasters than he can count, but Bucky always waved him off with a "You go on ahead, I'll stay down here. Roller-coasters give me the creeps." Sam would stare at him for a while but eventually shrug and say, "Your call man. You don't know what you're missing out on."

At one point Nat and Clint decided to take a trip to Australia. But when Bucky heard about the cliff-jumping he immediately backed out and ended up missing it altogether. He didn't mind, not really. But he would have liked to go. His fear of heights has made him miss a lot of great opportunities, but his reluctance to actually seek professional help plays a major part of it too. He events get nervous when he plays video games!

He's kept it a secret for so long, so it really doesn't come as much of a surprise when Sam finds out after a session of Call of Duty. Surprisingly, Bucky doesn't actually mind the shooting games. Sure he still jumps at the sound of a toaster oven or the continuous clicking of a fan, but shooting games give him a sort of adrenaline rush. It's messed up, he knows.

It's a Saturday night, and both men are bored as hell. So it turned into a Guy's Night with endless amounts of video games, pizza, and beer. They're playing Call of Duty, and their mission is to rescue the hostages. While Sam is trying to get the hostages out of the building, Bucky is chasing the enemy across the building tops. He doesn't think much of it, it's just a game after all. His tongue is stuck out in concentration as he tries to chase the guy down. But his thumb slips and presses the wrong button. He curses as his character lags behind and watches the enemy slice his guy to pieces. Bucky tries to fight him off, but in one slick move his character his thrown over the building's edge and blood splatters over his screen.

"Dude!" Sam yells as his eyes dart between his screen and Bucky's. "You just let the enemy get away!"

He's too focused on his end of the game that he doesn't notice Bucky's labored breathing. He starts hunching over with his metal hand clutching at his shirt. It's too tight, and the collar is strangling him despite it being a lose t-shirt.

"Hey man, are you okay?" Sam asks worriedly. He quickly sets the game controller down and kneels beside Bucky.

"Come on man, just breathe. In, out, in, out. There you go, you got it."

Bucky breathes as Sam instructs and keeps at it until his heart is beating normally again and his body has managed to calm down. He's dripping sweat and feels like he could collapse at any second from the exhaustion.

"Sorry," he gasps out. "I… I don't know what came over me."

"That's fine. These things happen, sometimes for no reason. You're okay now though, everything's fine," he says reassuringly. He thinks Sam mutters a "Maybe Call of Duty wasn't such a good idea after all."

Bucky swallows thickly and shakes his head. "No, it's—it's okay. The game, i-it's fine. But this—" He gestures to himself "—is not okay. I can't keep doing this."

Sam stares at him intently. "James," he says slowly, "what do you mean by 'this'?"

"I have a fear of heights," Bucky blurts out. He squeezes his eyes shut and waits for the laughter and the teasing to come. He can feel his face and neck heat up in shame at those words.

He feels a hand on his shoulder and looks up carefully at Sam. There's no trace of mockery or pity in his face.

"Dude, you've got nothing to be ashamed of. We all have our demons," he says understandingly. He smiles a little and squeezes Bucky's shoulder.

And that's all it takes for Bucky to break down with Sam rubbing his back in small circles. Its reasons like this that Bucky is grateful to have someone like Sam around in his life.

That's why it takes Bucky by surprise when Steve is dripping wet with a stock-stilled look on his face. He won't meet Bucky's gaze, and if possible he tries to shrink in on himself.

Rebecca had invited Bucky and a bunch of his friends to a fair held by Peter's school. Peter was running around somewhere with Rebecca chasing him down. Nat and Clint had gone off to do their own thing (Bucky was too scared to ask), while Sam had mentioned something about a kissing booth. Bucky got a text 10 minutes later with 'SCORE' written across the screen. Steve and Bucky decided to settle for roaming the fair grounds, hands clasped and being the sappy idiots they are.

This was probably one of the best dates Bucky has ever been on. Then again anything he does with Steve is considered the best. As they were walking, with Bucky leaning into Steve and Steve's arm draped over his shoulder, a couple of kids run by them with squirt guns and water balloons. Bucky smirks at the sight, but all of a sudden something splatters above his head and he feels water droplets spray his face.

He turns his head up to see a soaking wet Steve. It seemed they got caught in the cross-fire and Steve had been the unlucky victim of a deadly water balloon. Steve's eyes are closed as he lets the water drip all over his face. Bucky can't help smiling and uses his shirt sleeve to wipe up his boyfriend.

"Awww babe," he laughs. He reaches up to kiss him on the cheek. But Steve isn't smiling at all. When he opens his eyes he looks terrified, like he's about to sink into the ground and never come out. Bucky notices the tightness around his jaw, and his hands are quivering controllably. Bucky looks at him for a second until realization dawns on him and he pulls Steve away from the crowd.

Steve lets Bucky drag him along until they're at the edge of the fairgrounds near the parking lot. This way there's no people, and if something does happen they won't freak out the kids or anything.

"Steve. Hey, babe, look at me." Bucky takes Steve's face in his hands and forces his eyes to meet his. Steve looks like he's about to faint any minute. He's gone completely white and he's swaying from side to side.

"Stevie, come on. Come back to me, please," Bucky pleads. He can't take this. He can't take the hurt and confused look on his boyfriend's face right now. Usually Steve is the one comforting Bucky and dragging him out of an anxiety attack. Not the other way around. Bucky has never had to do this for Steve, so he can't help feeling a little panicked himself. But he manages to keep his composure and focus on bringing Steve back to reality.

Eventually Steve does come back and the color is starting to settle in his cheeks now.

"B-Bucky?"

"Yeah Stevie, it's me. You're okay." He tries to smile and act like the last couple minutes didn't happen. Steve even tries to do the same before his face immediately contorts into one of anguish.

Bucky brings him down by the neck and holds him tightly. Steve leans his full weight into Bucky and chokes out a sob against his neck.

"I-I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," he whimpers.

"Sssshh Stevie, there's nothin to be sorry 'bout."

Bucky sways them back and forth. A couple people pass by and look at them strangely, but hey, it's better than breaking down on the fairgrounds with little kids running all over the place.

Steve brings head up and meets Bucky's eyes with his own red-rimmed puffy ones. Bucky stands up on his tiptoes to kiss both of Steve's eyelids.

"I used to be afraid of heights," Bucky reveals. This grabs Steve's attention. "I mean, I still am but it's a lot better now. I-I… I fell off a building when the IED blew up and took my arm. According to Sam I almost lost my right arm too, but I guess I was spared that day." He bites his lip and tries to push on. This is the most he's ever revealed to anyone about his acrophobia. "I avoided it for so long, then one night I hyperventilated after playing a freakin video game. Sam was the first one to find out. He… he was the one who pushed me to seek help. I didn't do it, but then—then things got serious with you. I wanted to get better, I wanted to be better. So I did some therapy and I can pretty much handle heights now. Just… no roller-coasters or anything."

He gives a half smile. Sam is still disappointed at that one.

"I'm afraid of water," Steve rasps out. "I was on a mission. Middle of December, and I fell into a freezing iced-cold lake. I was trying to rescue some kids, but then the lake cracked and I—" He sucks in a sharp breath. "I hate the water, especially iced cold water. That's why when I take showers I turn the heat up all the way. It makes me feel… cold. Like I'm drowning all over again."

Bucky nods sympathetically. The war makes people do crazy things. He remembers almost choking Sam to death one morning, or the time he almost stabbed Natasha when he heard the doorbell ring. Steve gets it too, but the thing is he's never shown this side to Bucky. Bucky's more fucked up than he'd care to admit, but to see Steve like this? It almost comforts him to know he and Steve are in the same boat.

Bucky brings their foreheads together, breathing in sync with Steve.

"I didn't know you were afraid of heights," Steve says in a small voice.

Bucky shrugs nonchalantly. "I didn't know you were afraid of water."

"Guess we have a lot to talk about."

"I guess we do."

They both smile at each other.

"What are you two doing over there?" They look up to see Natasha and Clint walking hand-in-hand towards them.

Bucky curls an arm around Steve's waist and smiles a shit-eating grin. "We're about to have hot-raging sex and screw up your car. Thanks for interrupting by the way."

Natasha pauses and makes a face, then promptly turns around. Clint follows suit but turns his head and mouths, 'Don't you dare you ruin the seats.'

He throws back his head and laughs. That's one way to get rid of a crowd. He looks up and sees Steve staring at him thoughtfully. Then he bends down to nuzzle his face against Bucky's neck.

Bucky chuckles and runs his hands through the mess of blonde plastered all over him. They're going to be okay, they will. It'll just take some work and a lot of talking.