6

(I always get carried away with texting that involves more than 2 people help me)

Steve POV 

As soon as Bucky leaves the kitchen, I start asking for advice from the other Avengers in the texting group Peter Parker made. 

Captain America: Guys, Bucky is acting out and I don't know what to do about it. 

Iron Man: I gave you that collar for a reason 

Spiderman: k i n k y 

Iron Man: Now's not the time, kid 

Spiderman: sorry mr stark

Falcon: you know he'd never forgive you if you put that thing on him, right? 

Captain America: I know. 

Black Widow: wait I thought I took that away from you 

Iron Man: No, you took away the one I had. 

Hawkeye: have you tried talking to him 

Captain America: Yes, I have! It didn't work. 

Falcon: have you tried talking to him like an adult? you're kinda condescending when you talk to him. you talk to him like a little kid

Captain America: I do not. 

Falcon: oh yeah? how'd the last talk you had with him go? 

Captain America: He was all upset and I told him to calm down and that he was just being paranoid. 

Black Widow: paranoid about what? 

Captain America: He thinks my girlfriend is out to get him. 

The next few texts come in rapid succession, causing me to remember that I never really told any of my other friends that I've been dating someone. 

Black Widow: what girlfriend? 

Hawkeye: woohoo go cap 

Falcon: i think she is too tbh she sure is a shady hoe

Iron Man: Uh I thought you were gay 

Spiderman: ur too old to date 

Falcon: you should dump her 

Shuri: hi 

Iron Man: You're not an Avenger. 

Spiderman: it's my gc I can add who I want 

Ned: it's an honor to be texting you guys 

Falcon: ned and shuri are in this group chat but wanda and bucky arent? 

Spiderman: ned pls just ignore all these texts this is private business. Mr Americas love life is at stake 

Ned: it is?! 

Spiderman: yeah mr soldier is upset with him. they might break up 

Ned: oh no

Captain America: Bucky isn't part of my love life. 

Falcon: but it does involve him 

Captain America: No, it doesn't. 

Iron Man: Just use the collar, Cap. He'll get over it. 

Falcon: he literally wont

Captain America: Will his robotic arm affect it at all? I don't know anything about this technology. 

Iron Man: We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. 

Captain America: Alright. 

Falcon: you're stupid 

Ignoring all of Sam's comments, I pick up the shock collar from its place on the floor and inspect it to make sure it isn't broken. I look inside the box to see if there's a remote control that goes to it or anything. There isn't. I text my friends again. 

Captain America: How do you control it? 

Falcon: how bout you dont 

Iron Man: It reads his heart rate and shocks him if it gets too high. So don't screw him or anything while it's on 

Spiderman: MR STARK THERE ARE CHILDREN HERE 

Captain America: Screw him...? 

Iron Man: You know. 👉👌😏 

Captain America: I don't understand. 

Dr. Strange: You should put that on a t-shirt.

Iron Man: 🍆 

Captain America: I still don't understand. 

Dr. Strange: There's the back of the t-shirt. 

Spiderman: HE'S TELLING YOU NOT TO DO SEX THINGS WITH MR THE WINTER SOLDIER 

Captain America: Oh. Gross. Will the shock collar hurt him? 

Iron Man: No it tickles. Of course itll hurt him. It wouldnt work otherwise. 

Falcon: I would rather he stayed with me than have you put that shit on him. that's how bad of a idea I think this is 

Captain America: It's not a permanent thing, right? I can take it off? 

Iron Man: Yeah it comes off 

Falcon: im being ignored 

Captain America: Okay. I'll put it on him while he's asleep. No one tell him. 

Iron Man: You might wanna drug him or something so he sleeps through it. I'm pretty sure there's a sedative in the box if you need it though. 

Spiderman: im paying attention to u, mr captain falcon 

I turn off my phone and toss it onto a nearby counter, sighing heavily. I pick up the collar again to study it and see how it works. Oh, good. There's instructions in the box, as well as a syringe and probably some sort of sleeping drug. Tony is so considerate. Not really, though. 

Apparently I need to come up with a four digit code that'll unlock the collar. Well, that's easy. It'll be 7418. No one will ever guess that. And if they do, these instructions say that I, and only I can change it. 

"I'm going to bed," a soft voice announces and I jump ten feet into the air. I turn around and find Bucky standing in the doorway. His face is clean and he's wearing pajamas that he borrowed from me. 

"It's..." I start to contradict, looking at the clock. "4 in the afternoon." 

"I'm tired. Goodnight." 

"You haven't eaten anything today-" 

"I'm tired," he repeats.  

"Please eat something before you go to sleep." I put the collar and instructions back in the box. 

"No." Before he can walk away, I grab his shoulders and guide him to the table. He glares at the box and whacks it to the floor. 

"What do you want to eat?" I ask and he lets out an impatient breath. 

He gets up and walks away without a word. I briefly stare at the box on the floor before I start making a pot of noodles for myself. 

I wait for three hours so I am absolutely sure that Bucky is asleep. I grab the collar and the syringe and make my way to his room. I silently open the door only to find that he isn't in the bed. Oh yeah. He sleeps on the floor. I walk around the bed, wincing when I step on a creaky floorboard. He doesn't wake, though. Or maybe he does and is pretending to be asleep. 

I kneel next to him and manage to sneakily slip the collar under his neck. The feeling alone is enough to wake him. I expect the punch to the nose, but it still hurts. His eyes are wild and full of fear as he goes to attack me again. I grab his arms and hold him down, apologizing profusely. I jam the syringe into his neck, still apologizing as his eyes roll back into his head and he goes limp. I lock the shock collar around his neck and sit back. 

"I'm sorry, Buck," I whisper. I smooth his hair back and press a chaste kiss to his forehead.

(Wow Steve's a real jerk huh)