wow 2 updates in the same week...hell must have frozen over

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The few days that Bucky was gone were filled with blissful hours of Steve falling into the role of Dominant and Athena the perfect submissive...most of the time. The pair ran training for the recruits and other agents in the morning and once they wrapped up for the day they retreated to their floor to strip naked and continue their wicked games.

Athena found out what anything meant and paid for all her supposed crimes against her Captain. Finding herself over Steve's knee multiple times, practically begging for it.

The feeling of his hands on her was intoxicating and let her fall into a headspace that made her feel safe, loved, and totally at his mercy.

When they had tired out Steve took her to nice dinners, picnicked in their kitchen, and begrudgingly watched the rest of the Twilight movies.

The day Bucky was due to arrive home Athena was especially antsy, she had been missing him dearly. The no phone contact had been eating at her since he had to go dark but he had managed to send off a message to the command station that the mission was complete and they were returning home.

Dressed in a sundress that hugged her chest tightly and fluttered down to her calves, the pretty pale pink had soft flowers accenting the bodice, some trailing down lower. She wore a pair of butterfly wing earrings that Bucky gave her and a locket she made herself while crafting that had a picture of each of the boys on the inside. Half her hair was tied up with a silky ribbon that matched the dress.

She had asked Steve's help in getting her ready wanting everything to be perfect for his homecoming.

Standing on the platform she let the wind whip at her hair while the jet floated onto the landing pad. The doors lowered slowly and before they could even reach the ground Bucky was launching himself out of the jet. His eyes instantly landed on his soulmate, he was frozen for a second. He couldn't believe it but he forgot how beautiful she was, he remembered her being the most stunning woman he had ever laid eyes on, now she was a goddess in flesh gracing him with her heart.

"Bucky!" His chest ached at the sounds of her voice, he went far too long without it.

He let her run most of the way, loving the sight of her dress flowing with her. Dropping his bag he threw his arms out and caught her when she jumped. Bucky dreamed about moments like this, back when he was just in his 20s in the war. A girl waiting at home for him, now he got to see that reality.

Athena collided with him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck to press herself tightly to him. Her feet barely graced the floor as she was spun in a circle.

"Thea," Bucky sighed into her hair, his arms banding around her. He blocked out all the chatter in the jet bay, just feeling his soulmate. The only space he gave her was to pull away enough to kiss her in a time-stopping locking of lips that sent shivers down Athena's spine.

It wasn't long before Athena pulled Bucky into the shared room, Steve gave them the first hour alone but joined them once he felt Bucky was given a sufficient welcome home.

It was late into the night before the three heroes fell to the bed in a tired pile, a mass of limbs on a bed that snored loudly. All of them having plans to rest till the morning. It seemed though as the night grew darker someone had changed their mind.

Normally a hand around her throat would have excited Athena but when she opened her eyes and noticed Bucky's expression she began to panic. The winter soldier was on top of her and she couldn't dislodge his metal fingers from her neck. She tried prying his hands off and even resorted to slapping him hard enough to turn his head but he stayed locked. Flailing her arm to her right she smacked Steve in the face.

"Jesus Christ!" He woke gripping his now bleeding nose. He was searching for an attacker but found Athena turning blue underneath Bucky. Without hesitation, Steve dove forward and tackled the other man roughly off the bed. Throwing his fist he connected with Bucky's face before he took him by the metal arm and threw him into the wall.

"Athena, you alright?" the concern seeped through his voice as well as the strain of holding the other man to the wall.

He was barely fighting back, his dream-like state making his eyes look hazy as he began to slump in Steve's arms.

"Im good." Her voice was horse as she began to crawl toward the edge of the bed on shaky hands.

"Bucky? Hey! Hey! Wake up!" Steve shook him softly as he slowly lowered them to the floor. Athena rushed forward to help him gently lay Bucky on his back, the purple fingerprints on her neck already starting to blossom. The pair hovered over him shaking him, patting his face in an attempt to rise the man.

It took a few moments till Bucky's eyes began to flutter open, this time clear. He took in his surroundings, noticing Athena and Steve's concerned gaze.

"Good morning?" He said in a confused tone, wondering how he ended up on the floor.

"It's the middle of the night, Buck," Steve sighed as he rubbed his sore nose, leaning back to sit against the wall for a moment. "You attacked Thea in your sleep."

Bucky gave her a once over and took notice of her neck, it looked painful.

"I did that?" he asked softly. He reached his hand forward but hesitated to touch her, Athena though didn't waste a moment and lent towards him.

"It's ok, Im fine really." She tried to assure him but she could see how much he was sinking into himself. He mumbled out apology after apology but Athena only shook her head and told him over and over that it wasn't his fault.

Steve stood up letting them have their moment of comfort while he picked up the room. Their blankets were scattered around, along with half their pillows. He put all his focus into making the bed, trying to not notice the tears that were falling down Bucky's cheeks.

They were wiped away by Athena and replaced with soft kisses to his cheeks.

"Hey, we're all ok." She held his face in her hands and let their foreheads touch as she whispered sweet words to him. He shook his head but let it stay in her hands as he objected.

"I could have killed you!"

"but you didn't," She replied in a softer tone. Her hands moved to his shoulders and she shook him gently.

"I thought I was better." Was all he whispered out but it broke her heart even more. Truth be told he had been better. The last few weeks had been about Athena's healing and then making sure that Hydra hadn't planted anything in his brain during those few hours they held him. He passed all the tests with flying colors but the one person who warned him of possible problems was his therapist.

It turned out that they weren't wrong, Bucky was still mentally recovering from years of traumas, and being taken triggered some memories to resurface. The mission he went on must have been the final stone needed to topple the shields in his mind.

Bucky refused to talk for the rest of the night and even went as far as to lock himself in his room to hide from the pair of blonds that shadowed his doorway. The worry that covered their features made him hate himself even more.

Athena now stood in the kitchen stirring creamer into her coffee, the clock in front of her reading 5:23 am. They had been up for the past couple of hours and found no point in attempting to go back to sleep.

"How's your neck?" Steve asked as he walked back into the kitchen, he'd gone to shower half an hour ago. It seemed no one knew how to handle the early morning problems and were happy to find ways to avoid it.

"All healed," She laid a hand on it though, and rubbed remembering the feeling. Steve took her hand away and examined it himself, he was still frowning to himself but at least he didn't look angrier. "Are you mad at Bucky?" her question surprised him but he tried not to show it.

"I'm not happy he's hiding from us." He mumbled as he brushed his thumb over the places the bruises had only minutes ago been covering.

"He just needs time to process was happened, please just put yourself in his shoes for a second."

"I am and when I do that all I can think about is wanting to be by your side so that I know you're ok."

"But right now it's not about me Steve. He went through something extremely traumatic and we knew there would be side effects. Looking at the situation, it could have been worse."

"Don't downplay what happened here." Steve countered finally snapping at her, he was tense and flustered. Athena let out a slow breath schooling her features to a cool mask.

"Im not." She replied in a clipped voice. "I know you feel frustrated due to the bond but you have to handle this delicately. We can't just break down his door and demand that he talk to us."

Steve didn't reply, he seemed to take in her words. Breathing out through his nose he leaned against the kitchen counter next to her. Taking the coffee she offered he sipped it, contemplating what to do next.

"Im going to see if he will let me in after we make breakfast, food might draw him out." She pondered as she moved for the refrigerator. "Help me with the eggs?" she looked at him so sweetly that he practically rushed to her side to assist in her cooking.

A half-hour later Athena stood outside Bucky's door, tray in one hand. The other raised to the door in preparation to knock. Before her fist could tap the wood it was pulled open revealing a guilt-stricken Bucky.

"I brought breakfast." She said with a small smile, breezing past him to place the food down on the desk that sat on the far wall.

"You're healed?" He asked softly but stayed a few steps away from her.

"mmhm," she hummed with a nod busying herself with setting the silverware down on a napkin before turning to face him.

"I'm so sorry Athena." He sounded as if he was on the brink of tears. She didn't say anything just waited for him to continue as he took a deep breath. "I was dreaming, I was back there..." his hand were shaking as he let himself fall back into the memories he had been drowning in. Stepping towards him Athena reached out but let her hand stop in the air only inches from him.

"Bucky you don't have to "

"I want you to know." He interrupted , "I never want to have secrets. Not with you." He took the hand she had left in the air and placed it on his chest right above his heart. "I was strapped down to the table but this time I wasn't the one getting their brain wiped. You were. They took all the memories you had, every one of Steve and me. Every piece of you that was good and kind and perfect. I watched them shock you over and over and over.." his voice was bordering hysterics as he took a shallow breath. Athena took her other hand and let it cup the side of his face gently while hushing him softly.

"Bucky baby it's ok. You don't have to go back there, it was a bad dream. But that's all it was, a bad dream. I'm ok."

"I could have killed you." This time his eyes bored into hers with a self-loathing that made her want to wrap him up in her arms and make him understand that it wasn't his fault, it was Hydras and every person there that hurt him.

"We both know I am much harder to kill than that. I am ok." She repeated it because she was. In her eyes it was an accident, maybe one a normal couple might balk at but not them.

They spent the next hour talking about his dream, the anxieties that wayed on him, and the dark thoughts that seem to hang over him like a cloud.

A soft knock at the door revealed Steve who joined their pile on the bed.

"You ok pal?" He asked quietly once he was settled.

"I will be." He said not breaking eye contact with Athena. It was a promise to her and himself.

"Did something happen on the mission?" Steve questioned once he was sure Bucky could handle some questioning.

"Not anything that I can think of," Bucky said scratching his head while leaning farther into Athena's side for comfort. She took a shot at the questioning next, hoping to maybe jog his memory. When it came to PTSD it could have been a smell of a familiar cologne, the taste of food, seeing someone who reminded you of the wrong person. The options were endless.

"The stakeout went fine? no one saw you?"

He looked defeated as he shook his head no.

"Any new faces?"

"I've worked with all of the guys before so it wasn't like it was any new faces, other than the two techs that got brought along but they were both like shadows."

"New Techs?" He pressed.

"Ralph and Percilla. I didn't have time or really care enough to read their files. If Hill says they are ok, they're ok." he was confident in her abilities in keeping their teams safe.

"You didn't see any old Hydra contacts?"

"Nothing like that." Bucky snapped with a huff. "I barely slept while I was gone, maybe that's why."

It was silent for a while after that, everyone too caught in their thoughts to say anything else.

"Listen today we go to the upper floors and get the doctors to do a couple of scans. Then after that, we take a pit stop at your therapist, it's been a week since you've seen her and now feels like the best time as any."

Bucky nodded along with Athena as Steve spoke, Captain mode activated.

"We're going to get through this Buck, the three of us. Together." He reassured clapping a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"We got you Bucky," Athena whispered with a soft smile. "Forever."

Bucky felt a weight lift off him at that moment as the two people he cared about most in the world took care of him.

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woohhooo chaptersss

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