i’ve been thinking about a stucky ‘verse where post-TWS soldier doesn’t ‘imprint’ on steve as his new handler. steve is too nice, too soft, too unpredictable to fill that role, as much as the soldier wants to be near him. so instead, the soldier is following around someone else who acts more like rumlow. someone who is scared of him deep down but covers it with bravado and disdain, someone who makes the soldier feel miserable and exhausted and inadequate — THAT is a handler.
okay, yes, i’m thinking tony who is trying to deal with the murder of his parents. but it could be anyone! as long as steve is pining and doubting his own value to bucky and bucky is pining and trying to be good and trying to hide the fact that steve is the centre of his universe and everyone is sad.
Soldier seeking handler remix: not Steve
so instead, the soldier is following around someone else who acts more like rumlow. someone who is scared of him deep down but covers it with bravado and disdain, someone who makes the soldier feel miserable and exhausted and inadequate — THAT is a handler.
okay, yes, i’m thinking tony who is trying to deal with the murder of his parents. but it could be anyone! as long as steve is pining and doubting his own value to bucky and bucky is pining and trying to be good and trying to hide the fact that steve is the centre of his universe and everyone is sad.