[i]"Hey Buck, I got something for you." It had been a while since Steve visited, what with his fancy new job as a administrator managing super-heroes. Whatever the hell [u]that[/u] was. James had made himself at home in the Avenger's tower, but he missed his old best friend. That was why, when the original stars and stripes hero showed up, the last thing James wanted to talk about was some summer camp for heros' kids. He wanted to catch up, talk about their latest missions, that kind of thing. But Steve had something else in mind.

He came over to where James was sitting at the kitchen table and dropped an envelope in front of him. "What's this?" James glanced up at him with a furrowed brow before slowly tearing the letter open. He pulled out a...brochure. His eyes scanned it over for a moment before he looked up at Steve, a 'are you shitting me' expression on his face.
"Don't you think I'm a little old for summer camp?" 

Rogers smiled and gave a chuckle. "Didn't you used to say you always wanted to go?" He pulled a chair out and sat down in it. "I thought you might like to be counselor there. You know, a teacher. You could help train them."
"Why the hell would I [u]like[/u] that?" James gave him another look, wondering where all this was coming from. He didn't even like kids; there was a reason he didn't have any. He wondered if this was another one of Steve's crazy plots to get him 'back out there and into the world'. The guy just couldn't seem to get that James was perfectly fine sitting in his hideyhole, occasionally doing mission work and then going back. 

"Aw come on, Bucky." Steve was one of the few people who still called him that. One of the few people he [u]let[/u] still call him that. "I think you'll like it. These kids need someone to look up to. They could use a strong hand to teach them discipline and help guide them. It'll be good for you, too; getting back out there and into the world." 
Goddammit, he knew it. 
"Steve, I appreciate you looking out for me, but I don't need you setting up playdates for me. I'm perfectly fine on my own." 
"That's not what I've heard, Buck." Roger's expression changed to one of concern; pity. "The other guys have told me you've been having those dreams again. Being cooped up in here won't help you."
"And you think this will?!" He suddenly snapped. "What if something happens?! What if I regress and- and kill someone?!" He glared at his best friend with a face of anger before something wet touched his hand. He looked under the table were Lehigh sat. The dog looked up at him with those liquid brown eyes, calm and serene. His shoulders dropped. 

"I know you don't have much faith in yourself, Buck, but I do. [u]We[/u] do." Steve hadn't even flinched at his outburst. "I've already talked it over with Fury and everyone else, they've arranged to take your workload for most missions if you agree. It's all already set up, all you have to do is go do it." 
James was unconvinced. He stubbornly crossed his arms, his face stony. Rogers sighed. "And if you don't like it, you can leave and we can find someone else." James remained silent for several moments. Steve watched him, trying to figure out what was going on in that head. 
"Fine. I'll do it. But on the first sign of an episode, all bets are off. I'm not going to put other people in danger."
"It's a deal," Steve grinned as he put his hand out. James rolled his eyes and begrudgingly shook on it. 
"The taxi will be here in twenty minutes, all your stuff is already packed."
"Wait, what?" [/i]
 

James found himself looking at the camp's brochure, chuckling at the memory of how he wound up here. He really needed to talk to Natasha about her bad influence on Rogers. James sat out on the front steps of his cabin, which he thankfully had all to himself. His golden lab sat beside him, her head in his lap. He dropped one hand to rub one of her velvety ears. He supposed he was glad she'd come along. 

The camp wasn't as bad as he'd thought it would be. There were a few brats, sure, but a lot of the kids were pretty decent. He saw a younger version of himself in several of them. He'd somehow managed to go from dreading the idea of staying here to regretfully liking the place. It just...sorta grew on him. It reminded him of the good ol' days, back in the army. Before everything got messed up and complicated. 

The shutting of a car door off in the distance caught his attention. James looked up to see yet another kid being dropped off. He supposed it was about time for another round of them to come through and get broken in. Being one of the camp 'counselors', he should probably be over there doing something. James slowly stood, Lehigh's head picking up off his lap and laying back across her paws. She watched as he made his way across the soccer field to the main hall, her tail thumping. It was a pretty hot day out, but yet James was wearing black army pants and long sleeved hunter green shirt. Was he hot? Of course he was. But it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. He was used to running around in heavy suit with guns and a shield, after all. He still sported the Captain America hood, refusing to let anyone get a good look at his face. After being off the grid so long, the last thing James Barnes wanted was an incident.