Steve was at SSR laying there still unconscious after being checked on by a doctor and Bucky was sitting next to him.
Peggy wanted to be with him but everyone knew Bucky had every right to be there when Steve wakes up out of everyone after knowing him the longest.
Bucky was rubbing Steve's hand and she watched him closely and started getting curious about something so walked over to the only person that might be able to answer this.
"Sergeant Wilson?" she said seeing him with the other Commandos and he looked at her. "Can I speak with you in private please?" she asked and he nodded so they went to a different room and she shut the door and turned to him. "What has Barnes been hiding from us?" she asked and he stayed silent. "I know you know what he's been hiding from us all now what is it?"
Sam sighed and rubbed his forehead.
"He's gonna kill me for saying this if you tell anyone." Sam said and looked at her. "In our time gay relationships is legal. Bucky has been gay his whole life and only Steve knew it but never told anyone." he said and she looked at him in shock. "He only took out girls because he didn't want to be arrested. When Steve left him and we became close friends he told me and I told him he could finally get what he wanted now. But what he said broke my heart. He said he wasn't going to get what he wanted because what he wanted was already gone. After he said that I realized it was Steve he was talking about. He didn't just see him as a brother and best friend, he loved him."
She looked at him and thought about the way the other Bucky looked at Steve, how close they got, how strong their bond was and started putting it together.
"Now you get it?" he asked and she nodded. "Steve was his whole world and he left him for you. I don't know what'll happen after this but you need to keep this quiet because the minute Bucky finds out I told you, the trust he has in me goes right back to rock bottom and it's hard to get it back." he said and she nodded.
Then they went back and saw Bucky whispering to Steve so got closer to listen.
"Come on Punk. I've saved your ass plenty of times since we met. The least you could do is wake up." Bucky whispered fighting tears. "You already left me for Peggy once. Don't leave me for Sarah this time."
Sam looked at her saying 'See?' and she nodded.
"We're Super Soldiers, not normal soldiers anymore. Unstoppable, heal fast and everything." Bucky whispered and chuckled. "Besides, you're the most stubborn punk I've ever met." he said and looked at him. "Just wake up." he said, bent down and kissed him on the lips before letting go and sitting there quietly.
Peggy and Sam watched and Sam looked at her.
"I told you he loved him. He won't interfere with you and Steve, but I know he just wanted to do that while he could." Sam said and she nodded.
Suddenly they heard something.
"Steve?" Bucky said and everyone turned to look at them.
"Bucky?" Steve said quietly.
"Oh my god!" Bucky said as tears went down his eyes even though he knew Steve would be fine.
"How are you alive? You fell thousands of feet." Steve said and Bucky smiled.
"That day you saved my unit and saw me in Zola's experiment room? I was injected by a serum like yours a few days before and he was examining me. I survived that fall thanks to that serum. My arm was busted so they had to amputate it. After a while I got out thanks to the enhanced strength and speed. Bumped into this nice guy right here on my way home and he had some medical training so was able to help me with some cuts and bruises." Bucky said and nodded at Sam who waved.
"Thank you." Steve said and Sam nodded.
"You're welcome. My parents always taught me and my sister to help people. Besides, I was in unit 58th myself." Sam said and Steve nodded.
"So we won?" Steve said and looked at Bucky again who smiled.
"Yeah pal, we won." Bucky said and gently patted him on the back. "I think you've got a certain girl waiting to talk to." he said and Peggy walked over to Steve while Bucky walked over to Sam.
Then Sam put a hand on Bucky's shoulder.
"I know this is hard man." Sam whispered.
"It hurts Sam." Bucky whispered fighting tears and looked at Sam. "I kissed him without thinking. He left me for her without even offering me to come."
"I know." Sam said and took him to a different room knowing a panic attack was coming.
While Sam and Bucky left Steve watched confused but shrugged and talked to the others to be caught up.
A few minutes later Bucky and Sam were back and saw Steve standing and looking at the map Bucky had made.
"Oh no you don't." Bucky said and snatched it out of Steve's hand.
"Hey!" Steve said and everyone watched amused just waiting for the first fight in a while.
"My map, not yours. You may be Captain America but this, this is where every HYDRA base is. While I was with them before I left I was able to snatch the map with every base and lab they have in the world. We missed more than we've thought." Bucky said and Steve looked in shock and horror. "Since then I've been calling the shots with Sam second in command. It's gonna stay that way except with you second in command."
"But-"
"You were trained for a week while the rest of us were trained for at least three years. I got to lieutenant, Sam is sergeant, Dum Dum is Corporal and everyone else is Private. And technically and legally so are you. You are only Captain America because of the serum. In reality you're just the Star Spangled Man with the Plan." he said smirking and the Commandos and Sam snickered while Steve turned red. "If you didn't have it you'd be either dead, in the hospital, at home sick, with my family to look after you for me, at work like I told you hundreds of times or maybe a girlfriend like I tried also multiple times." he said. "Am I right or am I missing something?" he asked with an eyebrow raised and Steve sighed.
"No, that sums it up." Steve said while everyone else watched amused.
"Good." Bucky said smiling. "Now like I said, me first, you second, Sam third and Dum Dum last. Got it? If it involves flying, Sam is a very skilled pilot just as skilled as I am a sniper." he said and Steve nodded.
Sam couldn't help but feel touched at what Bucky just said.
"You have your shield, I have my sniper, Sam is good at guns but better at flying so I try and get him to take care of the air as much as possible while the others do the rest like before." Bucky said and Steve nodded and looked at Peggy and Phillips who nodded.
"He's been doing great at making strategies. Even better than you." Phillips said causing Steve feel a bit hurt but proud at the same time. "Part of us wants to have him ditch Captain and bump him up to Lieutenant Colonel already." he said and Bucky shot a look at them while everyone looked at Bucky smiling.
"W-what?"
"We've been talking about it all week lieutenant." Peggy said smiling. "And we've seen how much skill you've been hiding for the last few years. We finally realizing you let Steve get the attention because of the way he was treated for so long. Now that the war is over and you returned, it's time for you to get the attention you deserve and show them the skills you have." she said and he stayed silent while Steve looked at him.
"Is that true Buck?" Steve asked. "Have you been holding back so I can get some attention instead of being ignored like I was my whole life?"
"Maybe?" Bucky muttered.
The more Peggy watched the more she saw how much she saw Sam was right. Bucky Barnes was in love with Steve Rogers.
"Aw Buck." Steve said and Bucky looked at him. "You didn't have to do that. You're the one that worked hard at the training, you're the one that got all the way to Sergeant in three years, you're the one that's saved me to many times to count." he said and chuckled. "I've had my time to shine, now it's your turn." he said smiling and Bucky smiled.
"Well lieutenant? Are you finally going to show the world what skills you truly have? Before and after HYDRA captured you last year?" Phillips asked and Bucky looked at them smirking and took out a knife.
"They won't know what hit them sir." Bucky said, threw a knife and hit the apple Dum Dum was about to bite getting it to land directly on the wall.
They all looked at the apple while Dum Dum blinked and then Bucky smirking and noticed he had his back turned.
"That was one skill I had I've hid. HYDRA had me working on using knives and I learned it fast." Bucky said and turned, walked over to the apple, took it out and handed it to Dum Dum. "I never miss my target."
'I'll say.' Sam thought thinking about all the targets Bucky hit from the first time he saw him in 2014 to the last mission they did together.
"That's going to come in handy." Phillips said and took a note. "What else you been hiding from us?" he asked and Bucky told them what he could.
Not everything but what he thought was right with the Commandos there.
The more they heard the more they realized how much Bucky had really been holding in for Steve.
When he was done they looked at him in shock.
"You've been holding back Barnes." Peggy said shaking her head.
"All for this punk." Bucky said nodding at Steve.
'My punk.' he thought and Sam saw that look in his eyes.
"Jerk." Steve said and Bucky smirked.
'But I'm your jerk.' Bucky thought.
"Well all that stops now. Am I understood, lieutenant colonel Barnes?" Phillips asked and Bucky looked at him in shock then came back.
"Yes sir." Bucky said.
"Good. Now, what are we doing for the next one now that Rogers is back?"
So Bucky started telling them the plan.
Steve couldn't help but smile seeing how much a good leader Bucky really is.
When they started the mission he saw how strong and skilled Bucky really was and how much he had really been holding back for him.
Bucky jumped over a gunshot and caught a knife in one hand and threw it right back hitting them back.
The more he watched the more proud he was to call him his best friend.
Then he saw a knife hit him in the shoulder but he just pulled it out without so much of a flinch and nodded at Morita having him do his part.
When they were done they were looked at as usual and Bucky was already healed like Steve.
They were at the bar to celebrate another win as usual right now.
"Alright, I'll admit it. Bucky's a better leader than me." Steve said shaking his head and everyone started laughing while Bucky smirked.
"About time!" Bucky said and they laughed harder.
When they calmed down they all got another round and had fun.
Steve and Sam played darts while the others watched and then later Peggy came in and danced with Steve while Bucky watched.
Sam sat with him to try and keep him busy but knew it was hard.