I don't even have the words for how good this is omg. This part was so hard to read, with Steve's quiet, dogged courage, refusing to let himself feel shame for what other people did to him and telling himself that he didn't let them break him... And yet he's still so painfully vulnerable right now, and you illustrated that perfectly; the stark contrast between how he is feeling and what his body is doing is so well done as you can hear the bitterness in his voice as he talks to Sam while his body betrays him in the most humiliating way. Sam handled it so tactfully and tenderly though ;_; I don't know if I'll be able to survive the next installment with the Big Bucky Reveal but I'll be waiting for it with baited breath.