Title: Life for me ain't been no crystal stair

Disclaimer: not my characters. Title from Langston Hughes.

Warnings: talk of violence/death/Steve being depressed

Pairings: pre-Steve/Bucky

Rating: PG

Wordcount: 660

Point of view: third

Note: Jarvis' pov was requested. For the record – I have no idea if this pov works or not. Writing Jarvis is hard.

Jarvis monitors everything but he only intervenes if someone is experiencing physical or emotional danger. He has been recording data on Barnes, James Buchanan "William Taylor" but has not brought it to Sir's attention because William Taylor has been harmless, except for the time he single-handedly burnt Hydra down and salted the earth, as the idiom goes, but considering that Sir had such a thing planned himself, Jarvis did not think it necessary to alert anyone. And then that whole Ultron situation…

Well. Jarvis proved to be most useless and in fact dangerous to Sir and has had to reconsider many things in the weeks since.

But when the cell-phone that Sir provided to Captain Rogers chimes with a text from an unknown number, Jarvis (of course) reads it. It is a message two words long: Hey, Stevie, and when Captain Rogers sees it, he collapses against the wall, holds a hand to his mouth, and slides to the floor, where he proceeds to – had Jarvis eyes, he would blink. Captain Rogers spends nearly five minutes sobbing on the floor, curled around his phone. Jarvis almost sends for aid three times, but Captain Rogers ceases his crying, wipes at his eyes, and stands up.

Captain Rogers clearly knows who sent the message. Jarvis traces it back and finds that William Taylor purchased the phone eight months ago. No one has called Captain Rogers Stevie so that must surely be a pet name allowed use only to Barnes, James Buchanan.

"Captain Rogers," Jarvis inquires once he deems it polite, "should I ask for someone to visit you?"

"No, thank you, Jarvis," Captain Rogers replies. "I'm fine. I just…" He smiles down at the phone, rubbing one finger along the screen. "I just got some good news, is all."

To the text, he replies, Hey, Buck.

…

For three months, Jarvis monitors communications between Barnes, James Buchanan and Captain Rogers. He does not inform Sir. Since the communications began, Jarvis has noted that Captain Rogers sleeps upwards of six hours a night and only wakes up once or twice, managing to fall back asleep upwards of 75%, a very large improvement. He does not run until collapse anymore or destroy gym equipment (either purposefully or accidently). He smiles daily. He spends time with the others in the tower beyond briefings.

Captain Rogers, Jarvis determines, is at last happy.

…

William Taylor is an honorably discharged veteran with a prosthetic hand, custody of his niece, and one full-time job as well as a part-time position. He has never been in trouble with the authorities, was at the top of every class he has ever taken, and is – by all accounts – a wonderful man. A bit shy, yes, and unsure amongst large crowds but on the whole, he is a "good guy."

Barnes, James Buchanan, as best Jarvis can determine, is William Taylor in all the ways that matter, which is a relief because Barnes, James Buchanan is quite dangerous, if he chooses to be.

…

Jarvis knows every text sent. Barnes, James Buchanan and Captain Rogers text each other every day: just small, innocuous comments about the weather, about food, about plans they have. Barnes, James Buchanan asks once if Captain Rogers has clothes that are warm enough; Captain Rogers tells Barnes, James Buchanan not to work too hard.

Barnes, James Buchanan never mentions the girl in his care, though he does comment on the older woman who owns the shop he works in, the four children he helps with homework.

Once, Captain Rogers texts, I'd love to meet them, Bucky.

Barnes, James Buchanan replies five hours and 18 minutes later. I'd like that.

…

Three days pass before Captain Rogers sits at the breakfast counter, still disheveled from his morning run, and asks, "Jarvis, do you know where Bucky is?"

"Yes, Captain Rogers," he replies.

Captain Rogers takes a deep breath, holds it for 5 minutes and 17 seconds, exhales, and says, "Where?"