Chapter 6
"What?"
"I said will you watch Bucky? I have to go on a mission and I can't leave him alone. Sam's coming too or I'd ask him."
"Does this look like a daycare to you?" Tony says, gesturing around him at the lab. "I like the guy, I do, but not in a caretaker way! I'm not a babysitter!"
Steve sighs. "Tony, you know I wouldn't be asking you unless I had no choice. I can't just leave him alone. He's not gonna feed himself, or change his own diapers. He could get hurt or have an episode or escape and then what?"
"I can put your floor on lockdown. He won't get out." Tony says.
"But he still can't take care of himself and could get hurt! Last night I let him sleep by himself and he destroyed everything in his room because he got scared by the thunderstorm! He can't be left alone!" Steve says. "He needs someone with him!"
"I'll help take care of him." Comes a voice from across the lab.
"Fuck!" Tony exclaims. "Bruce! I didn't know you were even there! You scared the shit outta me."
"I'll help you care for Bucky." Bruce repeats.
"You haven't even met the guy! He can't talk and he wears diapers and has no manners! He's basically like a giant 100 year old metal armed baby." Tony says.
"Tony." Steve warns.
"It's fine." Bruce says. "He knows Tony so he won't be so scared of me. Tony can talk to him and I'll do all the care stuff."
"Fine." Tony says, rolling his eyes. "We'll watch your pet assassin. Bring him down before you leave."
"Thank you." Steve says to the scientists before leaving to go get ready.
Half an hour later he's back with Bucky.
"Here's diapers and wipes, and his weighted blanket. He likes his blanket." Steve says, setting the items on the lab's couch.
He then walks back over to Bucky.
"I have to go somewhere for a while, okay Buck? But I will come back. I'm not leaving you. You're going to stay here with Tony and Bruce, and you will be good and listen to them. Okay?" Steve says.
Bucky nods.
"Good, Bucky. Very good. I know you'll behave. You're so good." Steve says, stroking Bucky's hair. "He likes to be praised. It makes him happy and he'll want to listen to you. Tell him when he's doing good." Steve says to Tony and Bruce. Then, turning back to Bucky, "I love you so much. I'll be back, I don't know when but I promise I'll be back. Be good for Tony and Bruce."
With one last kiss to Bucky's forehead and one last glance at Tony and Bruce, Steve leaves.
☆
The handler is leaving. The Asset is to stay with the technicians and obey their commands. He will not misbehave. He will not give any reason for punishment.
The technicians are working. The Asset will keep watch. He will stand by the doors and keep the lab secure.
"You don't wanna sit down or something? You're just gonna stand there?" One of the technicians-Tony, says.
The Asset stays where he is. He will keep watch and behave.
"Okay, suit yourself. I have work to do."
"Let us know if you need anything, Bucky." The other technician-Bruce, says. "We're here to help."
☆
6 hours later, the Asset is miserable. His legs and back ache from standing for so long. He's fatigued. He's hungry and thirsty. He has tried signaling with his hands like one of the agents taught him but the technicians have their backs turned, they ignore him. The garment the handler keeps him in- diapers, the handler calls them, it is soaked and uncomfortably heavy between his thighs. It's leaking, not much, hopefully not enough to warrant punishment. But there is a small wet spot on the left thigh of his pants. He's been tugging his shirt down to try to keep it hidden. He told the handler he would behave and he fully intends to do so. His ass and genitals and inner thighs itch so bad, and it stings. He is malfunctioning.
He feels a sudden warmth and the stinging and itch get so much worse, then liquid is running down his tired legs. He watches in horror as the wet spot he's been keeping covered expands, creeping down the leg of his pants as another forms on the other leg. Then trickling as liquid pools under him on the floor.
"Really? All over the floor?" One of the technicians says. "Did Steve not change you before he left? You've only been here for - oh shit its been 6 hours?!"
"Tony stop, it's not his fault. We got to caught up in the project and forgot about him." The other technician says.
"He just pissed all over my floor! I know he can't help it but dammit, I'm not cleaning that! And I'm definitely not changing his diaper!"
"I'll change him and clean up. It's not a big deal, Tony. It's just urine."
The Asset has misbehaved. He is not supposed to misbehave. He promised the handler. His handler will be so angry. The technicians are angry. He will be punished. The technicians will punish him first and then the handler will punish him again when they tell him what he's done.
"Ugh. Go to Bruce." The technician Tony says. He wears a look of disgust. He is disgusted with the Asset. He is angry. The Asset should submit and take the punishment he knows he deserves. But something in him just tells him to fight, don't give in, don't let them push you around anymore. His face is wet again. He rushes the technicians with a feral scream.
☆
"Stop!" Tony yells when Bucky starts coming at him. Bucky stops in his tracks, sobbing and shaking.
He's not ready to deal with a super soldier tantrum right now, especially not with Bruce in the room. He can't babysit and fight off the hulk.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Tony demands.
Bucky starts signing scared, over and over.
"You have no reason to be scared! When are you gonna get it through your head that no one here is going to hurt you? You're safe!"
Bucky just keeps signing scared as loud sobs echo through the lab.
"You can't just attack people every time you're scared! You're being very bad right now and I think Steve will be disappointed to hear it."
That just sets Bucky off more, he screams and his sobs grow louder as he drops to his knees and starts tearing at his hair.
"Tony, don't you think you're being a little harsh?! Look at him, he's terrified and you're just making him feel worse!" Bruce says.
"Yeah I probably shouldn't have said that." Tony sighs. "Hey, hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. You're not bad and I won't tell Steve. You're doing very good. Great job listening and stopping when I told you to. Come on, no more crying. You're doing good."
Bucky calms a little, no longer tearing at his hair but still shaking and sobbing on the floor.
"Yes, good boy. Calm down. Let's lay down here so you can get changed. Good job. You're doing good." Tony says, trying to calm Bucky down.
Bucky obeys and lays on his back on the floor, still crying but not as hard, the praise is helping him calm down a little.
Bruce grabs a diaper and the wipes and comes over, getting on his knees in front of Bucky. He pulls off Bucky's wet pants and Bucky starts crying harder again.
"Hey. No! Calm down! He's just changing you." Tony says.
Bucky screams and starts to get up when Bruce undoes the tapes on the diaper.
"Hey! Lay down right now!" Tony orders.
Bucky obeys and Tony praises him for listening until he calms down a little.
"He has a rash." Bruce says after opening the soaked diaper.
"Well this is a lab, not a nursery. We don't have diaper rash cream." Tony says and rolls his eyes.
"Well, yeah, I know. But I know we have cornstarch somewhere, which can substitute baby powder. It's better than nothing. This looks like it hurts."
"Stay right here and don't move. Listen to Bruce." Tony says to Bucky, before going to search for cornstarch.
Tony brings the cornstarch over and hands it to Bruce. Bruce starts wiping Bucky and Tony has to keep up telling him to calm down and praising him when he listens. After Bucky's wiped clean, Bruce sprinkles the cornstarch over his sore areas before taping up the new diaper on him.
"See? That wasn't so hard. You were freaking out for nothing." Tony says. "Good job listening and calming down. Your pants are wet so you get to be pantsless. Lucky you."
"Do you need anything else, Bucky?" Bruce says when he comes back from throwing out the diaper.
Bucky signs for hungry and thirsty.
"You can have food but no drink. If we let you drink you'll piss yourself again and I am not going through another diaper change."
"Tony!" Bruce exclaims.
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding! I'm not a total monster." Tony says. "I'll get him something and you clean the floor."
Bucky sits quietly while Bruce mops the floor and Tony gets some food.
"I found some leftover Chinese!" Tony says cheerfully when he comes back. "I hope you like orange chicken!"
He gives Bucky the food and a bottle of water. Bucky quickly eats and drinks.
"Anything else?" Bruce asks.
Bucky goes to the couch and lays down, pulling his weighted blanket over himself.
"Alright, you take a nap and we'll see you when you wake up." Bruce says.
Bucky sleeps for an hour while Tony and Bruce work. When Bucky wakes up, he wanders over to the scientists to watch.
"Hi Bucky. Did you have a nice nap?" Bruce asks. "I think you need another change." He says, seeing Bucky's diaper sagging.
"Don't freak out. Just lay down here on the floor. Yes. Good. Great job." Tony says.
Bruce grabs a diaper and the wipes and comes back over. Bucky starts crying when Bruce takes the diaper off but Tony makes sure he doesn't lash out.
"I think we should let him air out." Bruce says, wiping Bucky.
"Air out?" Tony asks.
"His rash. We should let it air out for a bit so it can dry before I put another diaper on him."
"Look, if I don't get to walk around my own tower with my dick out, nobody else can either!"
"Tony, this will heal faster if we let it dry first." Bruce says.
"Fine!" Tony says. "Get up. Go stand somewhere or something, I don't know." He says to Bucky.
Bucky shakes his head.
"No?" Tony asks.
Bucky grabs the diaper Bruce was going to put on him and thrusts it at Tony.
"Bruce thinks you should let your rash air out. You can't put this on yet."
Bucky starts crying, tugging at his shirt trying to cover himself.
"He doesn't want to be naked." Tony says to Bruce. "And frankly I don't want to see him naked either!"
"It's just for a few minutes." Bruce says. "I'm sorry, Bucky. You'll be okay."
Bucky gets up and backs himself into the corner, still tugging his shirt down as he cries.
"Oh come on! Again?!" Tony exclaims as Bucky starts peeing on the floor.
"Calm down Tony! Don't upset him!" Bruce says.
"If I didn't know any better I'd say you did that on purpose!" Tony accuses.
Bucky vigorously shakes his head no while signing scared.
"I know you didn't, it's just an expression. Calm down." Tony says.
"Come here and get your diaper on, Bucky." Bruce says calmly.
Bucky rushes over more than happy at the chance to be covered again. He lays on the floor and Bruce puts some cornstarch on his rash before diapering him.
"Great job, Bucky. I'm proud of you." Bruce says.
Bruce goes to clean up the floor while Tony pulls out his phone.
"Come over here." He says.
Bucky follows Tony to the couch.
"Let's see what Steve is doing."
He FaceTimes Steve.
"I'm a little busy Tony, what's wrong? Did something happen to Bucky?!" Steve answers.
"No, he's right here. Just wanted to let him say hi." Tony says, handing the phone to Bucky.
The Asset stares at the rectangle the technician has given him. Why is his handler in there?! Who trapped him in there?
"Hey Bucky!" The handler says. "Are you being good for Bruce and Tony? I bet you are."
Bucky stares wide eyed at the phone, turning it over in his hands looking it over. Then he throws it into the wall, smashing it.
"Hey! What the fuck was that for?!" Tony says.
Bucky runs over to the smashed phone, picking through the pieces trying to find his handler. He was trapped in there!
"God dammit! Just because I can afford a billion phones doesn't mean I want to keep buying them!" Tony says.
Bruce's phone starts ringing.
"Hello?" Bruce answers. "It's Steve." He puts it on speaker phone.
"Bucky, what's wrong? Why'd you throw Tony's phone?" Steve says over the phone.
"I don't know but I'm pissed!" Tony says.
"He didn't mean it, he's just confused." Steve says.
Bucky tries to grab Bruce's phone and Tony stops him.
"Hey! No! If you smash his phone I'm not saving you from the Hulk!"
Bucky starts getting agitated.
Sam can be heard laughing over the phone. "He thinks you're trapped in the phone!"
"You think Steve is trapped in the phone?" Bruce asks.
Bucky nods.
Tony starts laughing too. "He's not in there! He's fine!"
Even Steve starts laughing. "I'm okay, Buck. Thanks for trying to help, though. I have to go now, I love you. Be good, and I'll try to be back soon." Steve hangs up.
"No more technology for you." Tony says. "I think it's about dinner time."
Tony orders pizza because he knows Bucky loves it. They all eat when it gets there and Bucky is happy afterwards, full and content.
Bruce reads Bucky a book while Tony continues working. Soon enough it's bedtime.
"Where is Steve?" Tony says. "I hope he's back by morning. This guy shits in the mornings and I am definitely not helping with that diaper change."
"I'm sure he'll be here. Where is Bucky going to sleep? On the couch?" Bruce asks.
"I guess." Says Tony.
"Well, I'm gonna head to my floor now and get some sleep, too. Call me if you need help with him. And don't antagonize him, Tony."
"Jeez, I won't!" Tony says. "I'm probably not sleeping tonight but it'll be fine. How much trouble can he cause while he's unconscious?"
Bruce leaves and Tony tells Bucky to lay on the couch. He puts his blanket on him and goes back to work.
Soon he hears sniffling and quiet crying.
"What are you crying for?" Tony sighs, walking to the couch.
"Hey, hey. It's okay. Stop crying."
Tony takes a seat on the couch and Bucky leans against him, grabbing Tony's arms and wrapping them around himself in a hug.
"You miss Steve?" Tony asks.
Bucky nods.
"Does he hold you like this while you fall asleep?"
Bucky nods.
"Wow, he sure has you spoiled." Tony says. But he starts petting Bucky's hair and rocking him gently.
Bucky soon falls asleep in Tony's arms, and Tony doesn't want to get up for fear of waking him. So he lays down with him and somehow falls asleep himself.
☆
"Tony."
"Huh? What time is it?" Tony says groggily.
"It's about a quarter past 3." Steve says.
"In the morning?" Tony asks.
"Yeah."
"Well why'd you wake me up?!"
"I'm here for Bucky." Steve says. "I hope he behaved for you guys."
"Oh yeah, he was great. Absolute angel." Tony says sleepily. "What were you out doing, anyway?"
"Sam, Nat, and I were just taking care of some of Bucky's former captors. They- they did things to him, Tony. There's a reason he's so scared all the time, especially when he's naked. It's sick." Steve says.
"And you didn't invite me? You think I don't wanna kill the assholes too?"
"Well I couldn't bring everybody." Steve says. "Maybe next time."
"I'm gonna hold you to that." Tony says. "You wanna wake him up?"
"No, I'll let him sleep. I can carry him. Perks of being a supersoldier." Steve says with a smile.
"Okay." Tony says.
Steve picks up Bucky, wrapped in his weighted blanket, and heads for the elevator.
"Hey Steve," Tony calls. "If you're ever stuck without a babysitter again, let me know."
Steve smiles. "I will, Tony. Thanks."