Sam and Steve are together and they (plus Natasha, Clint, whoever) have retrieved Bucky and he seems to be doing a lot better.
The problem is that some part of him can't break out of a pretty rigid code of hierarchy, and he can't stop seeing Steve as A Superior Officer. It makes it really difficult for Steve to be his friend, because Bucky defaults to just nodding along to whatever Steve wants.
On the bright side, he gets along GREAT with Sam. No confusing/contradicting memories, easier to accept as an equal, super laid back.
Steve feels the sting of this, but figures it's not a HUGE deal, it's early days yet, and in the meantime his two best guys are BFFs. He can cope, especially since Sam is clearly good for Bucky. Sam, likewise, feels bad for Steve, but genuinely likes Bucky and knows Steve wouldn't want him to NOT be friends with him.
Then Bucky gets Steve alone and begs that he please leave Sam alone; he can sleep with Bucky instead if he'll just let Sam be. Cue extreme emotional fallout for all three.
*Bonus if Sam is actually topping in whatever sexual activity Bucky's picked up on; Bucky's assumption comes from what he thinks their ranks are, not their positions in bed. *Bonus if Bucky wasn't ever assaulted in Hydra, but he did see less volatile assets abused that way, which is another place the assumption is coming from. *Bonus if Bucky feels he's been a pretty big person not just in the offer but in that he tried to bargain about this instead of just killing Steve. Why are your feelings hurt when I just proved how much I value your existence?
Steve/Sam, misaimed protective Bucky, warning: perceived noncon, past noncon
The problem is that some part of him can't break out of a pretty rigid code of hierarchy, and he can't stop seeing Steve as A Superior Officer. It makes it really difficult for Steve to be his friend, because Bucky defaults to just nodding along to whatever Steve wants.
On the bright side, he gets along GREAT with Sam. No confusing/contradicting memories, easier to accept as an equal, super laid back.
Steve feels the sting of this, but figures it's not a HUGE deal, it's early days yet, and in the meantime his two best guys are BFFs. He can cope, especially since Sam is clearly good for Bucky. Sam, likewise, feels bad for Steve, but genuinely likes Bucky and knows Steve wouldn't want him to NOT be friends with him.
Then Bucky gets Steve alone and begs that he please leave Sam alone; he can sleep with Bucky instead if he'll just let Sam be. Cue extreme emotional fallout for all three.
*Bonus if Sam is actually topping in whatever sexual activity Bucky's picked up on; Bucky's assumption comes from what he thinks their ranks are, not their positions in bed.
*Bonus if Bucky wasn't ever assaulted in Hydra, but he did see less volatile assets abused that way, which is another place the assumption is coming from.
*Bonus if Bucky feels he's been a pretty big person not just in the offer but in that he tried to bargain about this instead of just killing Steve. Why are your feelings hurt when I just proved how much I value your existence?