So many reasons for it besides the ones I mentioned. Like I see all this bottom steve cuz they’re like he has the weight of the world on his shoulders and needs to give up control?? or cuz he’s awkward sometimes (which has nothing to do with being a bottom)??
that’s steve tho. he’s always been like that?? him being cap has nothing to do with it?? that’s his job. it’s not a stress for him because that’s the natural position he takes. he’s always been a leader from even when he was skinny steve. that’s what erskine saw in him. not just a good man but someone who could inspire and lead others.
steve is the leader. bucky is the follower. steve is leader with the avengers too and steve’s “weight” comes from him feeling he failed bucky. not from his job.
and steve would not be all “me me me what do i need?” post tws. he’d be about taking care of bucky and giving him what he needs. making sure he is safe and protected and loved. not just because of what he went through as the winter soldier but also because now he is bucky’s equal and actually can? also bucky would not be in the right headspace to take on control for steve??
like “i can get by on my own” one of steve biggest things has been trying to make sure he’s not a burden to bucky. he most likely often felt like one. not just cuz he was sickly but cuz of being an orphan too. he has probably for much of his life been longing for the day when he could pay bucky back for all he’s done for him and finally get the chance to not only be capable of taking care of bucky but to actually do it. and he’d definitely get to do this post-tws because it’s something bucky would need. he’d need someone to lean on. someone to be his rock and steve would jump at the chance for that because he can finally do something for bucky he’s wanted to do for as long as they’ve been friends.
“even when i had nothing I had bucky”
also steve is terrifying in his defense of bucky. hurting bucky is what brings out steve’s dark side. each cap movie has shown us this while also increasing the level of violence steve is capable of and willing to inflict for bucky.
also things like
steve is in the position of power here. if it were bucky steve would reach up for him but bucky “lowers” himself for steve. steve is the immovable force and bucky moves for him.
bucky’s biggest struggles post tws will be with seeing himself as someone who is not a monster and learning to trust and be ok with being vulnerable to anyone. him topping because “he needs the control and to have the power” 1) is skirting around his trauma because he’s not learning to trust or be vulnerable and 2) assumes that being a bottom cant be a position of power. which it totally would be for him because he’s in control of his own vulnerability.
also he will want to be able to see himself as good and he will have the need to be good and i think a lot of that would come in needing to be good for steve. and steve would also have the need to let bucky know he’s good.
The other thing I thought of after I saw your tags Shan is yeah being a leader and all is who Steve is but also why would Steve (who has only been Cap a few years) want to give up control when he’s spent the vast majority of his life NOT having any? He’s spent most of it subject to the whims of his own body and most likely not only craves control but needs it.
The Archery Range 