Steve stood beside Tony. He'd followed Bucky back upstairs and Bucky had laid on the couch. He'd been out in seconds. For once the door wasn't locked and music wasn't playing.
"I think he had this whole breakdown because of the incident with Pierce." Steve says. Tony nods.
"Makes sense. His father's always been strict about what he could and couldn't do in public. He's always been very serious about their public appearance. The kid used to rarely smile at public events and his dad always got mad. Now I can't tell his real from his fake." Tony sighs and Steve swallows.
"What do you think his dad did when he sent us away?" Steve asks and Tony shakes his head. Tony shakes his head.
"No clue." He sighs.
"Maybe we could talk to him about this problem." Steve suggests.
"No. That is a terrible, horrible, stupid idea. They don't get along at all. His father would only make things worse." Tony sighs. Steve frowns then looks at him.
"Then what do you suggest?" Steve huffs. Tony shrugs.
"Well the best I can come up with is that we just be there. No one in his family is gonna help him. His mother's too obsessed with her weight and his father is more concerned with being president." Tony scowls. Bucky opens the door at that exact moment.
"I'd like to go for a walk." He says shyly. Tony nods.
"'Course kid. Any specific destination in mind?" Tony asks. Bucky nods.
"The gardens?" He asks quietly.
"'Course." Steve says.
They follow Bucky out to the gardens. Bucky sits down in a far corner of the garden that was really close to the edge of the property. Bucky just sits quietly in the wet grass. Tony nudges Steve's shoulder and Steve sits near him.
"The sky looks really pretty." Steve says, looking up at the stars. Bucky nods, a small smile tugging at his chewed up lips.
"Yeah. Me and my mum used to go out into our backyard and look up at the stars. She used to point out the constellations." He mumbles, Steve glances over to see a tear sliding down his cheek. He brushes it off gently with his thumb. Bucky looks at him before slowly leaning in and kissing him gently. Steve knows he should've pulled away. He knows it's against the code. But he doesn't. He doesn't pull away and he doesn't regret it. Bucky pulls away first, a blush coloring his pale cheeks.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn'tve." Bucky mumbles, looking down ashamed. Steve doesn't think and kisses him gently. Bucky kisses back. Tony clears his throat when he notices people approaching. Bucky pulls away and Steve stands up quickly. Bucky moves to his feet slower.
"James." Winifred, or Mrs. Barnes, says. Bucky steps forward.
"Yes mother?" Bucky hums. She takes his wrist.
"Let's walk." She says, leading him away before he even has a chance to answer. Tony and Steve follow several steps behind.
"You're fathers having a very important dinner tomorrow and he wanted me to let you know." She begins. Bucky says nothing and waits for her to continue. "You need to dress your absolute best and you need to deal with this." She says, gesturing to his face.
"Yes mother." Bucky smiles, she seems pleased by his reaction and walks away.
Steve watches as this time the smile doesn't fall away.
"Shall we go back inside?" He asks politely. Tony shrugs.
"It's up to you kid." Tony answers, something was wrong. He could tell. Bucky makes his way back to his room wordlessly. The smile still there. Steve shares a worried glance with Tony. Bucky shuts his bedroom door and walks towards his room. He passes a mirror and realizes he's still smiling. A mask. Fake. He swallows and suddenly that smile didn't seem so real.
A puppet. That's all I am to them. Another pawn to make them look good. Someone they can mold into whatever they want... He drops to his knees. That's what they wanted right? All of them want something perfect. Something that's not me. He swallows. His hands were shaking violently. I'll be their puppet. I'll stop fighting. He gets up moments later and goes to bed. He closes his eyes and doesn't dream.
_______________________________________________________________________
The stylists arrive in the late morning so they can begin working. Bucky chats happily with them, his smile never failing. They do his hair then hide his pale skin and his dark bags. He answers every one of their questions politely and happily. They dress him in a fancy black suit with a black undershirt and a black tie. They step back to admire their work.
"Absolutely. All because of you." He assures them. He kisses the ladies cheeks and hugs the man. "Thank you." His smile stays.
He makes his way down the to the garden to find his father. Steve catches a glimpse of him and he feels like his breath's been taken away. He looked absolutely stunning. Bucky finds his father who loads up a plate and hand one to Bucky. Bucky takes it still smiling and stays by his fathers side. When his father wasn't looking he'd throw away a piece of food so it seemed like he was actually eating. Pierce brought over a glass of champagne. Bucky takes it. He had another in his hand and was swirling it around, giggling slightly. Steve and Tony were keeping a close eye on him. George stood at the head of the table and was talking but Bucky kept giggling. George seemed to be annoyed by that. Finally he'd had it with Bucky and excused them from the table. He led Bucky into a hallway out of view from everyone else then slaps him. He falls sideways and hits his head on the wall with a crack. Bucky felt dizzy and everything was kinda fuzzy.
"Go to your room. Lock the door and do not set foot outside until I tell you it's okay." He snarls. "Understood."
Bucky nods weakly.