#with the explanation given to Bucky that his dad was a roughneck (getting into fights) just like Bucky

[daydreamerdrew]

It’s crazy to me that these bits from Captain America and Bucky (2011) #620 were from a story Bucky was telling to Natasha and his sister, Rebecca:

“A brave face… that was my first mask. Dad and I both tried to make family life as normal as it was before Mom died… And we had some fun years… Some good memories. Things I still hold on to. But that burden wasn’t easy for a little kid to carry. I may have pretended to be strong and happy… But I was angry underneath it all. Angry at the whole damn world. I knew I was letting Dad down every time I got in trouble.”

“Days moved fast after that… almost a blur. As they put Dad in the ground… and then explained some deal where my kid sister would get sent off to boarding school… but I would stay on the base with Dad’s old pals looking out for me. I used the mask Dad taught me to wear even more, then… to hide how scared and alone I really felt… I wore it for a long time after that.”

Because you know that he’s never been that emotionally vulnerable with Steve or Sam. They discussed the difficulty of holding an intervention for him in Captain America (1968) #606:

From Sam:

“Look, I know what it feels like to think you don’t deserve to be here… that you don’t deserve to wear the mask or fight the fight… But I don’t know how to talk to him about this stuff… Kid was raised in the military. He’s not big on talkin’ about feelings.”

And from Steve:

“Never could admit any weakness, could you, Bucky? Must be something you learned, growing up in the military. Deny pain. Deny fear… Deny it all. Even when your brothers in arms all know you’re lying.”