This is dedicated to ChildOfChaos714 for being such an amazing person and friend. You're awesomely awesome. Larb you!

Also, The image above: I was playing High School Story the other day and it kept making marvel references...anyway. on with the one shot.

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Everyone had always viewed Peter Parker as a Happy-go-lucky teen who always seemed to be looking on the bright side. Only they were wrong. After what happened with homecoming, Peter was left with serious PTSD. He had managed to keep it hidden for a while. No one knew, except for the winter soldier.

Though silent and somewhat isolated, the soldier knew the effects of PTSD all too well. He knew how it felt to be thrown into flashbacks of things he'd left in the past. He knew how it felt to be triggered by the slightest thing, and having no idea what to do about it.

Bucky Barnes could see right through Peter's act. And he hoped that, in some way, he could help the kid. His opportunity soon arrived when Peter came home from school one day, unusually quiet. Everyone else had gone on a mission, and bucky asked to stay behind.

The teen just entered the common room, throwing his backpack on the floor and sitting on the couch. Peter was completely silent, but Bucky couldn't help but notice the slight shaking of his hands and the sad look in his eyes. Bucky sits on the couch beside him, and finally breaks the silence.

"Kid what's wrong?"

"N-Nothing Uncle Bucky. I'm fine."

"No you're not. You may be able to hide it from the others, but you can't hide it from me."

"I promise, I'm-"

"Peter if you say you're fine one more time I'm gonna tell your dad." The teen is about to protest one last time, but thinks better of it.

"Maybe I'm not 100 percent. But I can handle it." Peter replies with a shrug.

"You may think that, but everyone needs help every once in a while."

"But we're all superheroes. We're supposed to be strong." Peter's on the verge of tears, his voice shaking.

"Peter, it's okay to be weak sometimes too. I mean, look at me. I'm an ex-soldier turned assassin turned hero. Do you honestly think that I'm strong all the time? I'm a mess." Bucky tells the kid, who is now crying silently.

"I know PTSD when I see it. You're not okay, and that's fine. Just promise that you'll tell someone when you're having a rough day. Let me help you." Peter just leans over on Bucky's shoulder, tears streaming down his face.

"H-How do you handle it?" Peter asks through tears. Bucky lifts his arms and wraps them around the kid protectively, and Peter sighs at the feeling of comfort.

"One day at a time. And I talk to people. Steve has always been there for me, he brings me back from that dark place."

"Well what about me?" Peter asks in a small voice.

"That's what we're here for Peter. We're your family, and we're here for you."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

The kid is quiet for a bit before his breathing evens out, and Bucky realizes he's fallen asleep. The soldier knows that Peter probably hasn't been getting much sleep, so he moves as gently as possible.

He carefully lifts Peter up before lying the boy on the couch and covering him in a blanket. He can't help but notice how peaceful the boy looks now that he's sleeping.

"FRIDAY dim the lights please?" Bucky asks. Usually the AI wouldn't respond to Bucky's requests, but this was for Peter so she didn't hesitate.

Bucky turns on the TV, keeping the volume low, before he takes a seat in a chair next to the couch.

As long he's there, nothing is going to happen to his nephew. In that moment Bucky swears to protect him from anything and everything, no matter the cost.

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Another one of these. Wasn't that good I know, but my English class is killing me. So yeah. Hope you liked it.

I larb you all my amazing arachnids!

Nat