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lazyneonrabbitt · 1 day ago

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NSFW Alphabet

John F. Walker (US Agent)

Smut - Explicit content - NSFW - 18+ only!

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex)

He is pretty great at aftercare, actually. He will check in with you to make sure you are okay and help clean you up. I think he's the kind of guy who would immediately shift to put himself in the wet spot so you can have the dry comfy spot without even saying a word about it. I also think he is a massive fan of cuddling after sex, even if he doesn't necessarily say it. If you try to get up to get dressed or do anything more than pee, he's immediately trying to pull you back into bed and wrapping himself around you. He likes cuddling with you completely bare against him. Especially once he's really let himself fall for you. He has missed being held and holding someone in return. He didn't even realize how much he missed it, but he did.

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

I think John has a lot of things he likes about himself. I think he's very proud of his muscles. Even before the serum, he worked really hard for them. I think he likes his eyes. They are what people tend to compliment the most. I think his favorite thing, though, is his smile. He was always smiling in photos before. He sees the posters and pictures of him smiling proudly, and now, whenever he smiles, he tries to channel that confidence again. That's part of why he grew the beard. To disguise from the fact that his smile was so different now. He can never quite get the smile to go all the way up to his eyes. Until you. You brought back his genuine smile again.

In his partner, I feel like John likes the curvier bits. Hips and thighs. He likes having something to grip onto. Something that jiggles when he fucks you. Something he can cuddle into and snuggle up with. A part of him also likes the idea that you have birthing hips. He wants more kids. The caveman part of his brain immediately hones in on the fact that you are built perfectly for that. He'd be lying if he said he didn't also love leaving little bruises and marks over the soft skin of your hips and thighs. If he's eating you out he's gonna be biting your inner thighs at least a couple times. If you're on top he's holding onto your hips so tight you're gonna have fingerprints.

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

At first he's very particular about only cumming in your mouth or in your pussy. After you catch him watching porn one day you find out he really has a fantasy about cumming all over your face and tits. It hadn't really been a huge turn on before, but he cums a lot now because of the serum and that makes the idea all the more appealing to him. He loves the idea of essentially marking your body. Of you letting him cover you in himself. It’s possessive and intimate all at the same time. Since he can cum multiple times in a short period thanks to the serum he will be especially over the moon if you let him cum inside you and then all over you, back to back. He'll think he's died and gone to heaven if you let him take a video of it or pictures of you afterward for when he's away on a mission. The first time cums all over your pussy he swears it could be considered art. If he's feeling romantic or his breeding kink is going full strength he just wants to cum in your pussy. Filling you up and then daydreaming about getting the second chance at the happy life with a white picket and you bouncing his babies on your hip. Except this time he won't fuck it up.

D = Dirty secret (pretty self-explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

He is absolutely dying to fuck you while he's still wearing his suit. It's his biggest fantasy. He's praying you will ask him when he gets back from a mission and tends to linger before he takes it off or tries it on at random times in hopes you'll figure out what he wants. He doesn't want to ask for it, but absolutely wants it to happen. He loves that it makes him feel manly and in command. He also knows he looks pretty damn hot in it. In particular, pressed up against the wall with you hanging onto the harness for his shield or with you bent over in front of a mirror. Also he would really like it if you happened to call him Captain while he's fucking you in the suit. Actually he's gonna need to fuck you in the suit at least twice. Once with the helmet on and once without

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)

I tend to believe he and Olivia were each other's first. So he has maybe only had a couple of partners. Obviously, he was with Olivia for a long time, and they have a kid, so he knows what he's doing. He's also very much an overachiever. That being said, I think the variety of his experience is pretty limited. Probably hasn't done much beyond what would be considered vanilla. That doesn't mean he's not open to it. You just may have to teach him, and he will 1000% pretend he knows all of this already, even if it is completely new. I also don't know that I see him going above and beyond to learn if you aren't doing it with him. He's got tried and true ways of getting himself off. He feels there's no need to fix it if it ain't broken.

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

Mating press or horizontal cowgirl with him fucking up into you instead of you doing the work. He likes positions that feel a little intense where he can press his body tight to yours and give him a lot of control over speed and depth. He's a control freak with abandonment issues. He wants to be in charge and he wants to know you aren't going anywhere until he's done with you. Mating press is his go-to on any given day. Something feels very primal about it and the way it opens you up for him, but he still gets all the benefits of missionary like being able to kiss and talk to you. Horizontal cowgirl is his pick if he's feeling a little subby. He'll let you have control at the start, let you set the pace and ride him, but by the end he's usually holding you against his chest so tight you can't move and he's busy pounding into you from the bottom. If he's had a really bad day or is really frustrated he wants it in doggy or prone. A position where he can just go to town and fuck the shit out of you.

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

He is a definite dork, but that definitely doesn't translate to the bedroom. He can be a smartass in both normal situations and sexy ones, but he generally considers sex to be a more serious intimate moment. It's somewhere he can let his guard down and doesn't have to hide behind his shield or his sarcasm. You get to see a side of him no one else does. A side that isn't protecting itself with sarcastic humor or hidden by ego. He almost feels like these moments between you are sacred. You get glimpses of the sweet man he was before the military really got a hold of him, and before the government decided he was a weapon to be discarded once he made them look bad. You can see why Olivia had fallen for him, and yet at the same time, you can see why him changing broke her. He has a lot of heart, he has just built up so many walls around it it's not always obvious to everyone else.

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

He's meticulous about it. He doesn't necessarily mean to be, but it's something harmless he can obsess over when he gets in his head. He's been told by strangers that he looks better with the beard. You kind of agree, but you tell him you'd love him either way. He keeps everything trimmed. He's not insanely hairy, just enough to feel manly to you. You love to run your fingers through the hair on his chest and tease him about how you never thought you'd be with a blonde guy and how you always liked guys with dark hair before him. The hair on his chest and his pubic hair is just a touch darker than the hair on his head. It's more the same color as his beard. He's still blonde all over, though. When you want to get frisky in the mornings, you love waking him up by letting your fingers start on his chest and slowly tease over his abdomen following his happy trail until you are stroking him. He practically starts purring when you do this.

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

He gets very in the moment. Totally focused on the task at hand, getting both of you off. Sometimes, he does lean more romantic. I firmly believe there is still a soft sweet hopeless romantic guy in there somewhere. He's just buried deep, and he has to trust you before revealing that side of himself. Even when it isn't overly romantic or soft, it's still very intimate and intense. As we've discussed before, he just wants so much to be good enough and not let people down. He doesn't want to let you down, and he wants to be enough for you. Even if he doubts himself, he's gonna give it everything he has every time. Even when he lets you take charge, he still will make sure that you are satisfied. I think once he falls for you, he falls hard and will do everything in his power to try and communicate how much he cares for you in bed. Sometimes he fucks you, but sometimes he full on makes love to you.

J = Jerk off (masturbation headcanon)

He jerks off a lot. Partly because of the serum, and his stamina will always outpace yours. He can jerk off in the morning and still have plenty to give you that night. Partly for stress relief. It's a good way to get his mind off something that is bothering him. You have caught him a few times. Walking in on him with some sort of porn on, his eyes closed and his hips thrusting up into his fist. It's gotten common enough at this point that you think he might like it when you catch him. Especially if you start teasing him about how needy he is. He always cums really quickly when you playfully scold him about jerking off when all he had to do was ask for your pussy and he could have had the real thing. He jerks off the most when one of you is away on a mission. In these instances he's almost always thinking of you and how he'd much rather be in bed with you moaning underneath him than stuck God knows where dealing with idiots.

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

Praise kink. He wants to hear how good he feels. How good he's making you feel. How big his cock is. How well he fucks you. He wants you to tell him he's pretty and that you want him more than you've ever wanted anymore. If you tell him he's a good boy he will practically spontaneously combust. He can almost cum just from your praise alone. He just wants to be loved and told he's enough, both in and out of the bedroom.

Breeding kink. He also didn't really consider this to be a kink necessarily until you mentioned it. Humans are supposed to procreate, right? Isn't everyone turned on by the idea of breeding their partner? He didn't really dirty talk that much until you started encouraging him to say those thoughts out loud. Now, there are days where all he can think about is knocking you up. How sexy you would look with a pregnant belly and swollen breasts. Talking about cumming in you over and over until you are leaking him for days and your body has no choice but to give him a kid.

L = Location (favorite places to do the do)

Not a fan of PDAs, so he definitely prefers the bedroom. He's not opposed to other places for quickies, though. He likes being in a safe place with you where he can really let his guard down. Let his mind and body relax and indulge. The place he's most comfortable doing that is in one of your bedrooms. He also really likes to cuddle after sex, but he will never admit it out loud. That's much easier to play off as “making you comfortable” in bed. That being said if one of you, or both of you, have been on a long mission he's not opposed to fucking you the first place he can get you alone. Especially if he's still wearing his suit, as we discussed earlier. At least one team member has almost walked in on you in a closet or bathroom or something. There was also an incident on the jet that made Yelena consider pouring bleach in her eyes.

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

Praise and genuine affection. At this point, he's so used to everybody either taking the piss out of him or treating him like dirt. If you actually treat him kindly he'll follow you like a puppy. He's not used to soft things anymore, and it makes his mind spin a little when you don't immediately start making jokes at his expense. We've all agreed this man desperately craves praise both in and out of the bedroom. If you want to get him going, all you have to do is hold him close and whisper in his ear how sexy he looks or how good he did on a mission or in an interview. If you think to call him Captain or Agent, his knees will go a little wobbly. I also think he's a very visual guy. So you in his shirt or any sort of lingerie, doesn't matter if it's something fancy or just a silky nightie, will get his blood flowing south pretty quickly

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

Swinging or watching you with someone else is a non-starter. This man can get very possessive. He doesn't even like it when someone else flirts with you, even if its a mutual friend. He sure as shit isn't gonna let someone else fuck you. I also see him as being a pretty faithful guy. I dont even think hes the kind of guy who would be into strip clubs if he has a hot woman he loves waiting at home. He doesn't want anyone else so the idea of swinging is a hard pass. He would feel like he was cheating even if it was something you both agreed to. He's not very kinky. So I see a lot of freakier stuff being a turn off for him. Handcuffs and spanking? He'll figure it out. Whips and chains or full on BDSM? Nope. Not for him. Also not a fan of weapons play in the bedroom. That's a part of his life he'd rather keep separate from sexy time. I don't think he'd be into exhibitionism or voyeurism either. Unless it's just you and him watching each other. That he can get into.

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

If you ask him, he'll definitely tell you he prefers to be the one receiving. He loves how you work him so well. How manly he feels when you are on your knees focusing on his pleasure. He loves when you moan around his cock like he's the most delicious treat you've ever had. He's particularly sensitive when you start licking and sucking on his balls. He can't keep himself from fucking your throat when you look up at him while you take his whole cock in your mouth and suck.

However, the way he eats your pussy, you have a sneaking suspicion he actually prefers to be the one giving. His eyes never leaving your cunt and his mouth working overtime to bring you to climax. He wants you pulling his hair and grinding against his face. It's not uncommon for him to leave hickeys on your inner thighs almost every time you have sex. He gets so into it he ends up humping the bed more often than not. For a guy who says he's not that crazy about eating pussy, he eats it like his life depends on it.

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

Let's just say if you share a wall with anyone, you will be hearing a lot of complaints from them. On occasion, he can be slow and romantic. Long and deep thrusts. Talking to you the whole time. Fingers interlocked with yours. Lots of kissing. More often, though the super soldier serum and the way he tends to hold onto his emotions leads to rougher sex or at the very least faster thrusting on his part. He gets too into it to be slow. Even if he tries to start slow, by the end the bedframe is creaking, and the drywall behind the headboard is starting to crumble. He's broken at least one bedframe so far, and he's stupidly proud of it. You were slightly mortified when you had to explain to Val how your bed had been completely demolished and that you needed a new one. Perhaps a reinforced one. John just sat there with a big stupid grin on his face the whole time. Also, as mentioned in my headcanons, this has led to a bruised cervix at least once or twice. Or, at the very least, you are walking and sitting very awkwardly for a couple of days.

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

He's absolutely down for a quickie. Especially since with the serum, he's good to go for multiple rounds. At the start of your relationship, he's pretty insatiable. So quickies are a must. If you are alone on a mission together, as soon as the work is done he's pulling you away for a quickie. He does generally prefer not to have to rush his time with you, but he will absolutely never turn down a quickie. Especially if he's a bit upset or frustrated, a quickie is a great way to get him in a better mood. The team immediately calls on you when he's being extra bitchy. He does tend to get a really dopey smile on his face afterward that always gives it away to anyone who knows him though.

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

He's not opposed to trying some new things, but he does like being in his comfort zone and knowing exactly what is going to happen. This is part of why he leans towards constantly being the dominant one. He will try new positions without any hesitation. New surfaces? It depends on where they are and the variables around privacy. Toys or role-playing or anything he'll have a little bit more hesitation with, and you will probably need to bring them up multiple times before he agrees to try them. Eventually, he will probably give in. Especially if the role play you want to do is him as a star quarterback and you as a cheerleader. He also won't take the risk of sex interfering with a mission. Even if it's just the two of you alone in a secluded safe house, he won't give into his urges or yours until the work is done. Once the mission is completed, he'll take you the first chance he gets, but he takes too much pride in his job to let anything else come first.

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

He's a super soldier. His stamina is off the charts. He doesn't necessarily worry about making each round last a long time because he knows he will be able to go multiple. It's also probably the first time he's really getting to test what the serum has done to him in the bedroom. Somedays, he's probably gonna wanna test how many rounds he can go. Somedays, he's gonna wanna see how long he can last before cumming. He isn't gonna push you past your limits though. Once you tap out he's probably done. He'd rather save the energy for you than exert it by himself when he could be taking care of you… unless you really want him to. We know he is probably very eager to please. You want to watch him or talk him through what you want him to do, he'll put on the best show for you he can. That happens fairly often, actually.

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

He knows you have them, and he's not gonna stop you from using them, but he's not crazy about them. If he's on a mission, then sure, go ahead and use them on yourself. Especially if you are thinking about him while using them. He knows that he shouldn't be threatened by them, and he's slowly coming around to your bullet vibrator. Especially after you showed him you could use it on him during a blowjob. He still generally lets you be the one to bring it up, and you be the one holding it. Anything bigger or more phallic he's still not sure about. We know he has insecurities around being enough. That would apply to comparing himself to your toys too. If you have a realistic looking dildo he doesn't really want to know about it, even if it's to send him a naughty video while he's away. Maybe someday, a part of his brain is very curious, but he's more worried about how he will start to compare himself to the toy after he sees you cumming from it.

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

He does like to tease. He gets off on you begging for him. He needs you to nerd him. So he will tease you until you are pleading for him. Biting and licking at your thighs and the creases of your hips until you are gripping his hair and trying to push his face into your cunt. Letting his fingers dance around your clit without making direct contact or circling your entrance painfully slowly. Using just the tip of his cock until you are writhing and crying for more. His patience for being teased is not great though. Sometimes he loves it, but if he's having a bad day he will pout and whine if you try to tease him. Ultimately reminding you that he is a super soldier and can stop your little game whenever he wants. You know when he says this he's giving you a warning that he's at the end of his rope.

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

Just like when he fights, there's lots of grunting, growling, and snarling during sex. Baring his teeth when he gets close to climax. He doesn't even realize all the noises he's making when he gets really into it. He will also encourage you to praise him at every turn. Asking if something he's doing feels good or if you like how he feels inside you. He's not a screamer, but he's certainly not quiet in the bedroom. He loves hearing you talk to him during sex. So he may not talk at length, but he will encourage you to be as elaborate and filthy as you can. Give him directions and feedback. Overwhelm all of his senses. Make him forget everything but how he's making you feel with every deep thrust of his cock or lick of his tongue.

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

Would absolutely love his partner to do a striptease for him or give him a lap dance. This man craves attention. Having all your attention on him as you put on a naughty little show for him is a dream come true. The thought of you slowly taking off your clothes and wiggling around naked in his lap just for his enjoyment makes him downright giddy. It's an extra boost to his ego if you get aroused and wet doing this for him. He won't really ask you to do this for him, but he will be happy as a clam if you come up with the idea. If you take a pole dance class with the girls for shits and giggles, he will ask to see what you learned with a cheeky grin on his face. He knows you can't say no when he smiles at you like that. Although be warned, there is no way he's keeping his hands to himself during the lap dance portion. At the very least, he's gripping onto your hips or fondling your breasts. By the end of the song, he'll probably have his fingers inside you.

X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes)

The serum didn't really change much here. He didn't completely change size like Steve or get a ton more muscle mass like Bucky. When he's soft, he's the same size he always was. Average. It's not huge, but not small. Like most men, he probably wishes he was a little bigger, but he's not unhappy with it. He was pleasantly surprised the first time he got hard after taking the serum that he was about an inch longer and a bit thicker than he was before. I definitely think he has measured to confirm this. He knows that you don't know that the serum did this, but it's probably come up during foreplay that you are getting the bigger post-serum version of him. You tell him you would have been happy with either version, but he's really proud of it now. He also leaks a lot more pre-cum now than he used to. It has made his alone time better, no need for extra lube, and if you like it, he's even happier about it. Bringing your hand to stroke him through his underwear. Ready to have you feel how wet you get him. How much you turn him on.

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

I feel like he's got massive pent-up energy and has probably been denying himself a lot of things since the events of Falcon and The Winter Soldier. Sex and human touch in general included. I think it's gonna be like shaking a soda can then popping the top. He's literally going to explode once you ceack the seal. He will not be able to get enough. Between his super soldier stamina and all the repressed emotions and energy, you'll be spending a lot of time with him inside you. You are an outlet for his emotions. After one or both of you has been on a mission plan on keeping your schedule completely open for the next day. He feels like he's borderline addicted to fucking you.

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

It takes him a while to fall asleep. He also sometimes has nightmares about his experiences as a soldier. So even when he's asleep, it's not necessarily restful. He will always wait until you fall asleep before he lets himself fall asleep. He just feels like he can protect you better that way. Holding you however you need him to and just lay there thinking about things. Sometimes, he gets too into his own head to sleep. He likes having some sort of background noise on. Usually some movie or sitcom. Sometimes, he will just lay there and watch you sleep, the tempo of your breathing like a metronome lulling him to sleep himself. He does generally sleep more soundly if you are there next to him. I can also see him being a giant teddy bear who likes to cuddle you close as he falls asleep and when he wakes up. There have been times you've woken up unable to move because a certain super soldier has you pinned to the mattress in his sleep.

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John Walker taglist: @sareim123122 @witchygagirl

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#holy shit #all of this feels perfectly in character #the motivations and emotions??#damn homie #fic rec tag

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lazyneonrabbitt · 3 days ago

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I was stabbed in the feels. In the good way.

Winter's Child

Summary: Bucky Barnes x fe!Reader -> You and your daughter live across the hall from Bucky. However, one night when your daughter won't settle, you turn to him for help.

Disclaimer: A lot of fluff, angst, hurt/comfort vibes. This is also a long fic. Bucky is not a step-dad but a dad who steps up. Brief mentions of abandonment, heavy on the Found Family, cute fluffy date moments between Reader and Bucky. Yelena and Kate being a duo, slight swearing. Not fully proof read.

You were at your wits end. At least, you thought you were until a handwritten letter slipped under your door at nine am on the dot a week ago.

A noise complaint.

You were a single, new mom of one. And instead of helping, three of your neighbours – two of whom had children of their own – decided to file a noise complaint against you.

First, it was sleepless nights with a newborn. Then it was three weeks of convincing male doctors that your baby was, in fact, sick and it wasn’t you just being dramatic. And now…it was teething.

You’d barely had a minute to yourself in several months. Family helped you where they could, but one night was all they would do in terms of babysitting.

You had five piles of laundry that either needed washing, drying, folding or putting away. Your apartment was over-run with household chores that needed doing, you felt like you were on auto-pilot as you moved through your home.

And every time you’d just get your baby to sleep, someone upstairs decided that it was time for yet another rearrangement of furniture because it didn’t fit the ‘movement’ of his vibe.

“What?” You were practically crying yourself. “What is it? I’ve tried everything. Please, just tell me what to do. Please.”

Nothing was working. You didn’t want another noise complaint in fear of someone suggesting you should move out. It took years for you to find a safe place that was within walking distance of a good school.

Obviously, you’d planned the whole ‘having a baby’ thing happening differently than being single and alone the whole time. But it was the quiet moments, the moments where your baby laughed and smiled that made your heart lighten a little.

But at two am, exhausted and desperate – that was not one of those moments.

You’d never know why – you could only ever guess - but an idea popped into your head. And you could only pray it would work.

Bucky had just closed his front door when someone knocked on it. It was hurried and for a moment, he felt for his side-arm.

But when the knock was followed by a baby’s cry, he lowered his hand. By the time he opened the door, he was greeted with you - his neighbour.

“I’m so sorry, I really really am-”

You looked like Hell. Bucky had been on a ten day mission in Serbia and had the crap kicked out of him twice – and somehow you looked worse.

“But she won’t stop crying and I don’t know what to do. I don’t want another noise complaint or to be kicked out. I know this is really rude and I am sorry but, please. Is there-”

Bucky stepped forward and scooped the baby from your arms for a moment. He held her up, letting her little legs dangle in the air for a moment whilst he checked her over.

It was like he’d performed some kind of miracle.

Your baby had stopped crying.

Bucky could see you in the corner of his eye. It looked like a weight had been lifted off your shoulders, only to come crashing back down.

“How do you do that?”

Bucky shrugged with a small smile as he cradled your baby in his arms. “I had kid sisters growing up. Ma was always run off her feet.”

“I’m really sorry about this, Bucky.”

He just shook his head. “Don’t be. You said you got a noise complaint?”

You nodded, leaning against the wall beside his door. “A week ago. Someone slipped it under my door. I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to sign it, I’ve not exactly been a quiet neighbour these last few months.”

Bucky shook his head. “You’re doing your best. Ignore the noise complaint. If you get any more, give them to me, I’ll get it sorted.”

“No, you don’t-”

“If they’d bothered to help, then someone might be able to say they're just in their complaint. But they haven’t. So nothing is right about it. Want me to put her down?”

You nodded. “Yeah, I’ll show you.”

As Bucky walked inside your apartment, cradling your sleeping daughter in his arms, you couldn’t help but feel guilty. You were her mom. You should be able to do it without having to knock on your neighbour’s door in the middle of the night.

And you knew it wasn’t the first time he’d helped you, either.

At six months pregnant when she was kicking you like she was about to be the next World’s Greatest Football player, you had to pause outside your door, leaving your grocery bags on the floor for a moment.

Bucky had just left his apartment when he saw you. In your small exchange, which most of your conversations were, you helped him press his hand to your stomach.

It was one big kick.

“Kid, you’ve gotta be nice to your mom,” Bucky had warned.

The kicks stopped.

Bucky had also helped when your baby was five months old. You were carrying her on your hip whilst balancing the baby bag and two bags of groceries. Bucky had just, again, left his apartment when he asked if you needed any help.

“Can you hold her for a second?”

Bucky took her without question and the soft babbles had turned into quiet solitude as she laid her head on his shoulder. Bucky also took one of the grocery bags from you as you searched for your door key.

Once you’d thrown everything inside the door, you took your baby back who, within the space of sixty seconds, had grown rather attached to your neighbour.

Which was also clear in the way her little fists held onto his shirt as he carefully lowered her into her crib.

“I’m really sorry about this.”

Bucky shook his head. “Don’t be. I’m happy to help.”

If Bucky was being honest, he was more than happy to help. When he’d first moved in, a lot of the tenants in the building had avoided him. A few even complained about him living there considering he was an ex-assassin. And he couldn’t blame them. He still blamed himself sometimes.

But you were one of the few that didn’t treat him like that. You treated him like he was just an average human living across the hall from you. So, helping you and your daughter where you asked him to – it gave him another sense of normalcy.

Something he found to be very rare in his line of work.

“You know, if you ever need help, all you have to do is ask.” Bucky told you as you walked him to the door.

You shook your head. “I already feel bad asking you to help me get her to sleep.”

Bucky turned on his heel and looked at you. “You don’t have to feel bad about that. You’re a mom trying to do it all. You’re allowed to ask for help, Y/n.”

That still didn’t stop the guilt, though.

You’d opted to have the baby on your own. There had been other options, but they just simply were options you didn’t want to take. You’d chosen to do it on your own, which meant continuing to do it on your own.

“Thank you, Bucky. For everything you’ve done so far.”

You bid him goodnight, feeling the continuing guilt settle in your stomach but gratitude wash over your home. Your baby was fast asleep, and for the first time in months, you got a full night’s sleep.

When you woke up, you checked on your daughter to find her still fast asleep. So, you took the time you had to finish cleaning your apartment.

You were folding the third pile of clean laundry when someone knocked on your door. When you answered it, you stalled for a moment.

“Bucky, what are you-”

“I know you’re not gonna ask unless you’re out of options, so I’m giving you an option to take,” he told you. “When you need help, or need a break, call me.”

He handed you a post-it note with his phone number on.

“Bucky, I can’t-”

“Yes, you can. And I want you to.” Bucky pressed. “You’re one of the few people outside of my job that treats me like a person. And, just because you’re a mom, doesn’t mean you should constantly be treated like one. You’re a person, too, Y/n. You deserve the help.”

You were completely shocked. Bucky was…an Avenger. He was someone who helped save the world, twice. But he was offering to help you and your baby.

You lowered the post-it note. “Would you have any idea how to fix a kitchen cupboard?”

Bucky smiled, feeling a wave of relief wash over him that you were actually asking.

He nodded, “Let me get my tools.”

Your brows furrowed. “You have tools?”

He laughed, “I have tools.”

What you thought was just going to be an afternoon turned into two years of frequent help – even when you never asked – and a growing friendship.

The routine of helping you and your daughter also helped Bucky. It helped ground him after a tough mission. One that, if he went home alone, would be playing over in his mind until the nightmares all mixed into one.

Even the team noticed the change in Bucky. He seemed lighter, happier and calmer. But the only one who knew the truth behind the change was Sam. Mainly because he’d seen the photo on Bucky’s desk at work.

A picture of himself, you and a toddler who was holding the camera.

“You should invite them over for dinner,” Sam told him one afternoon.

“You think so?”

Sam nodded, taking the beer from Bucky. “Yeah, why not? She’s been your neighbour for years. I know you’ve had a crush on her, for like, ever.”

“I don’t have a crush-”

“You’ve got a crush.” Sam told him. “And, it’s about time we meet your future wife.”

“Sam.”

Sam just laughed. “Oh, come on, man. You know I’m right. I’ve seen the way you look at your phone when she calls you. I’ve also seen the look on your face when you find out it’s her daughter wanting to update you about her day. What a two year old has going on in her life, other than apple sauce packets, is beyond me.”

“She went on her first playdate and helped someone make friends. It was a big day for her.”

“Ha, see! Buck – accept it or deny it, they’re your family. Which makes them ours, too.”

Bucky sighed. “I’ll ask, but if she says no-”

“Then we’ll let it slide.”

Bucky pulled his phone from his pocket. “And you’ll make sure Kate doesn’t stalk her online.”

Sam held up his hands. “You have my word.”

Thankfully for everyone involved, you agreed. A week later, you were unbuckling your daughter from her car seat whilst she tried to scramble away and towards the crowd of Avengers who were laughing and chatting over a barbeque.

That was when a small pair of lungs squealed at the top of their voice, “Bucky!”

Your daughter was running, ignoring your call of being careful before she fell, towards her favourite person. And you had to admit, aside from your daughter, he was yours, too.

You watched as Bucky stopped his conversation with Sam Wilson and turned to jog towards your daughter. By the time they reached each other, Bucky lifted her into the air as she squealed with more happiness.

“Hey, firecracker. How was pre-school?”

“Good!”

Resting her on his arm, Bucky talked to her and waited for you to reach him. “Really? You gonna tell me about it?”

You smiled, “Only if you want your ears to fall off.”

Bucky chuckled. “Didn’t need them anyway.”

You stopped just short of him and he led the way over to the table that was still being set up. “Come on, I’ll introduce you to everybody.”

You’d had anxiety for a week over agreeing to the BBQ. What would they think? Would they hate you? Would it be awkward?

But after twenty minutes, everything felt…normal. You helped a very chatting Kate Bishop and a calmer Laura Bishop set the table for the multitude of Avengers and kids that were attending the BBQ.

People hugged, laughed, asked as many questions as they could – most of them coming from your daughter who, despite attaching herself to Bucky for most of the day, wanted to know everything she could about everyone she was with.

And they answered every one of her questions.

By the time the stars were peeking out behind the few clouds that remained in the sky, your daughter waddled her way over to you from where Kate had let her back onto her feet, and you picked her up.

As you finished your conversation with Natasha, you started packing away what you could with a sleeping child on your shoulder when Tony appeared.

“Why don’t you stay? You should stay. We’ve got plenty of room and the roads can be dangerous, really, at night. You should stay.”

You tried to shake your head, but Natasha stood. “Just say yes before he says he found a fault with your car.”

“That’s a generous offer, Mr Stark-”

“Tony, please. And don’t sweat it. Come on, I’ll show you.”

You don’t remember agreeing but somewhere between Tony showing you inside to the compound and a sudden new message alert that a scan of your car had resulted in a few, rather dangerous faults being found, you were putting your daughter to be at the Avengers Compound.

And then you were being led back into the living area where everyone was sitting around the coffee table talking. And the only available spot left was right beside Bucky.

He sat you beside him with ease. Too much ease to be normal between friends. Not that you were complaining. There was safety with Bucky, in a way you couldn’t describe.

Of course, when you felt his fingers trace up and down your arm lightly, you felt your cheeks heat. But you still felt safe. Not so nervous where you felt like running in the opposite direction, but nervous enough to enjoy being with him.

And after an hour or so, Yelena walked back inside with a little hand holding onto her finger.

“Someone wanted to join the party,” Yelena said as she led your daughter over to you where she climbed into yours, and technically, Bucky’s lap.

Bucky smoothed down the back of her hair as she rubbed her eyes.

“Don’t you want to go to sleep, honey?”

She shook her head, and pouted. “No. Not without you and Bucky.”

Bucky smiled softly, “C’mere, kiddo.”

Leaning over, your daughter settled herself between you and Bucky before leaning her head against his side.

“Okay, that is way too cute,” Kate said as she pulled out her phone and snapped a few pictures.

As conversations started up again, your daughter fell into a deep sleep against Bucky. Something you almost did yourself until you managed to gain enough energy to lift yourself from the sofa and carry your child back to bed.

Bucky followed you, his palm warm on your lower back as he led you down the dimly lit hallways.

However, by the time you woke up in the morning and went to check on your daughter, you found her bed empty. But just as the anxiety that you tried to keep calm spiked in your chest, a voice spoke inside the room.

“Your daughter is currently interrogating Mr Wilson on his preference of breakfast cereal.”

You relaxed a little. “Of course, she is.”

You were slow to round the corner into the kitchen, wanting to watch your daughter for a few moments. Bucky was right in her nickname; firecracker. She was like some kind of professional quizzer.

It amazed you some days, at how head-strong she was for such a young age. But you wouldn’t change her for the world.

Slowly, you lean against the kitchen counter beside your daughter, listening to her explain to Sam about how cheerios were better than eggs, Sam softly arguing back.

Little did you know, her arguing with Sam would become a frequent image in your own home.

It seemed, for as much as your daughter had fallen in love with the Avengers, they had fallen in love with her and each one of her questions. You started to see Sam at Bucky’s apartment more often, Yelena and Kate would show up at the park when you’d take your daughter out for the day, your daughter’s preschool also started to get a little more funding here and there throughout her school year.

And on the days where Bucky would offer to pick her up from school when your work ran over, they would turn into sleepover nights at the Compound since you couldn’t pry your daughter from their arms no matter how hard you tried.

Eventually, you started to feel like family to them. They loved your daughter like one of their own, and she loved them right back. If anyone at school said that Captain America was less cool than Iron Man, or that Kate wasn’t the better Hawkeye or that anyone on the team wasn’t as cool as your daughter thought they were; she would defend them to her last breath.

But the one she defended most passionately was Bucky. How he wasn’t scary but actually really kind and funny, even if he was grumpy sometimes. And how his metal arm was like having a normal one – he could still feel everything the same. Almost.

She even drew him in all of her pictures when it came to her art class. Which, one day, turned into a list of questions which she just so happened to ask out loud one morning when Bucky had just made her breakfast.

“Are you like my dad?”

Everyone in the kitchen stopped what they were doing to look at your daughter. But her gaze was focused on her breakfast and the picture she’d made at school the day before.

“Why do you ask, honey?” You asked her softly, leaning down beside her.

“Because Jeremy said I couldn’t have a ‘Bucky’. I had a mommy, so I needed a daddy, too.”

You felt your heart sink a little in your chest. “Honey…”

You didn’t quite know what to say. Her biological dad hadn’t been in the picture since he’d seen the positive pregnancy test on your bathroom counter.

“Jeremy was wrong.”

“He was?”

You nodded. “Yeah. Look around you, baby girl. I know you don’t exactly have a daddy, but you do have people that love you.”

That was when your daughter looked around to the other people in the kitchen for reassurance. They all agreed that Jeremy was wrong.

“Truth is, honey, maybe not everyone has a daddy, but not everyone has a ‘Bucky’ either.”

Steve smiled, “And that makes you extra special, kid.”

Your daughter smiled before turning around in her stool and hopping down before walking over to Bucky who picked her up instantly.

She hugged him around his neck. “I love you.”

Bucky was on the edge of tears. “Love you, too, firecracker.”

Later that night, Bucky put her to bed whilst you finished up in the kitchen. You’d offered to make dinner but since half of them got called out on a mission and Bucky was already being used as a human pillow for your four year old, Kate took his place on the mission.

So, you’d packed the dinner into different take-away containers and stocked them into the fridge and freezer, along with a couple of post-it notes on how long to reheat.

You were wiping down the counters when Bucky walked back inside.

“She okay?”

“Out like a light,” Bucky smiled. “Mind if I ask you something?”

You nodded. “Always.”

“Earlier…when she asked me…what happened to her dad?”

You stopped cleaning for a moment before you took a breath.

Bucky had lived across the hall from you for a while, even before you were pregnant. But he’d never seen someone in your life long enough to consider they would be your partner.

“We’d been dating for a couple months, but since he lived closer to my workplace, I stayed at his house more often than he did mine. His house was also closer to his work, so it meant we could spend longer together in bed. Pretty sure it was one of those mornings when I got caught…” You took your time, and Bucky let you.

If you had told him you didn’t want to talk about it, he would have backed off and waited. You didn’t have to tell him anything, but he was glad you were.

“But, as we hit the three month mark, I started getting a weird feeling. More than I ever have before. Woman’s intuition told me he wasn’t exactly staying loyal. But it felt like more than that, so…I took a test. The minute he saw the two lines he told me he was seeing someone else and that he didn’t want to know about me or the baby, ever. I’ve never heard from him since.”

Bucky couldn’t feel his blood boil. First, a guy who was with you…he let you go. He strayed, cheated and let you go. And then, he abandoned you when you would have needed him the most, and finally…he didn’t even want to meet you or your little firecracker.

“Well, that’s technically a lie. I heard from some cheap-shot lawyer of his after I sent him some pictures of his daughter’s birth. Just one of her in a hospital onesie and a little hat that one of the nurses had knitted for her. She was so little,” you smiled as you thought back to those first moments where you held her and heard her cry.

“What did the lawyer say?”

“That he was giving up all parental rights. He wanted to make sure, as far as the law knew, he didn’t have a daughter.”

“He’s…something I would say if there wasn’t a four year old sleeping down the hallway.”

You chuckled. It was nice to know someone was just as angry, if not more so, at the thought of someone not wanting to know your daughter.

“I guess I was kind of lucky in a way, though.”

Bucky looked up at you from the counter.

“If he did want to know her, she might not have had you. I might not have…I probably would have moved closer, for the baby’s sake.”

Bucky let the breath go from his lungs. “God, I can’t imagine not having you both in my life.”

You smiled, “Luckily, you don’t have to. We’re both lucky to have you, Bucky. And I’m glad we do.”

Bucky smiled back at you, his heart rate increasing just that little bit more. He managed to look away before you caught the flush in his cheeks.

A few months later, you were at home finishing up your third load of washing for the week when someone knocked at your door.

“Kate? Yelena?”

Kate’s expression held nothing but relief as she turned around and faced the door when you answered. “Oh, thank god.”

“What’s going on?” You asked them as they walked into your home. Yelena was carrying several different garment bags whilst Kate carried two more and dragged a small make-up trolly behind her.

“We need your help.”

“What on earth for?”

You closed the door, balancing the laundry basket on your hip as they turned around to face you.

“We need you to attend Pepper’s gala tonight.”

“What- Why?”

Kate looked at Yelena who nodded.

“Because you do.”

“Girls, I’m gonna need a better explanation than that.”

Yelena rolled her eyes as she dropped the bags onto the sofa. “God, you’re such a mom.”

“Yelena.”

Yelena just fixed her hair. “We need you to be someone’s date.”

“Can I ask who this someone is?”

“It’s-”

“No.” Yelena cut Kate off. “You can’t know because it’s a surprise. So, enough questions. Give me that.”

Yelena took the laundry basket from you and pushed you along down the hallway. Meanwhile, she pulled out the worn hair tie from your hair.

“Yeah, you need to get washed first. Use your fancy stuff.”

“Yelena-”

“Go, now. Please.”

You gave a small huff as you got into the bathroom. “Fine. But only because you said please.”

Yelena smiled before she shut the door. “Thank you.”

By the time you’d finished your everything shower, along with the fancier shampoo you tended to save for dates and nights out – a shampoo that’s only use was before parent-teacher meetings, or any place you had to look like you hadn’t been up half the night reading parenting books.

You were rushed into your guest bedroom where Yelena sat you down at the vanity desk. Meanwhile, Kate was lying with your daughter on the bed, looking through different eyeshadow colours, naming them all.

“Katie knows a lot of colours, momma.”

Kate smiled. “I really do. Hey, you know what this one is called?”

Your daughter shook her head.

“Aquamarine.”

“Aq…aquaamarr-”

“Aquamarine,” Kate repeated a little slower and your daughter copied.

An hour and many more unanswered questions later, Yelena had finished your hair whilst Kate was helping you apply your make-up.

You had been planning a quiet night in. More than likely, it would have ended with you watching the last half an hour of a Disney movie alone whilst your daughter snored herself to sleep on the sofa.

“Okay, dress time.”

Kate stood and opened up each garment bag. “Which one?” She asked your daughter.

“Don’t I get to pick?”

“You don’t know the plan, momma.” Your almost five year old, told you.

“There’s a plan?”

Kate shrugged. “There’s always a plan.”

It took a total of seven minutes and a game of ‘left or right’ to decide on your dress. A floor length gown with a high slit up one leg. There was a soft shimmer to the fabric like you’d been spritzed with body glitter beforehand.

All three girls gasped as you stepped out from behind your dressing divider.

“Wow, momma,” your daughter seemed mesmerised. “You look beautiful like the stars.”

You smiled, “Thank you, babygirl.” Then you turned to the two elders. “Will you answer my questions now?”

They smiled, like they knew something you didn’t. But before you could get your answers, someone knocked on the door.

“I’ll get it!” Your daughter sprung from the bed, quickly followed by Yelena.

“You really do look beautiful, Y/n.”

You smiled. “Kate, what’s going on?”

She just smiled back. “You’ll see.”

As you tightened your shoes a little, you heard your daughter call out for you.

“You can come out now, momma!”

And as you did, it was like your breath had been taken from you.

By your door, Bucky was standing wearing a tux. You’d always known he was handsome, but there was just something about a man in a tux…

You felt yourself smile as you walked closer. “I thought you were away-”

“I know, I was. But…I managed to finish early. You look…” Bucky was lost for words. Or maybe he had too many.

Stunning, gorgeous, beautiful, breathtaking…

“She looks beautiful like stars,” your daughter jumped in. And he had to agree.

“You’re right, firecracker. You look beautiful like stars.”

You blushed and smiled. “Thank you.”

Then Yelena jumped in. “Right, off you go.”

“What?”

“Don’t worry,” she pushed you both towards the door as Kate opened it. “We’ll make sure the little firecracker gets to bed before you’re home. She’ll be safe. She’s with two avengers.”

You knew that was true. But, you also knew there was a chance they wouldn’t be safe. Yelena was a trained spy, but Kate? Kate would crack under the pressure of your little girl's thousand and ten questions questionnaire.

Before you knew it, you were being waltzed inside of the venue that had been rented out by Pepper’s company for the charity gala. All the while, holding onto Bucky’s hand and arm.

“This is a lot of people,” you whispered to him.

“We only have to show our faces for an hour. Two max. Then we can ditch.”

“Wouldn’t have taken you for a ditcher,” you told him, a little surprise in your voice.

He chuckled. “No. Ma would have killed me for skipping school, not that I ever did. I actually enjoyed it. It was fun when Steve wasn’t getting his ass kicked. But, for things like this? It’s not my favourite thing in the world.”

You shrugged. You couldn’t blame him. It was lovely; getting ready, witnessing Bucky in a tux for the first time, feeling a little less guilty about leaving your daughter for the night. But there were a lot of people. People who you didn’t know. And you doubted Bucky knew, either.

“But it’s better having you here with me.”

You whipped your gaze away from the crystal chandeliers, to your date. You covered the butterflies in your stomach with a soft smile.

Before you could say anything, someone called your name. And then Bucky’s.

It was Pepper.

She introduced you both to different people before she was called away by someone else.

Although it was a lot, it was easier having Bucky by your side. It was rare his hand ever left yours. At one point, his fingers had intertwined with yours and there was no way you were going to cut that off.

By the second turn of the venue, looking at the items that were going to be auctioned off for charity, you and Bucky tried to sneak away from the crowd for a while. Only, you were caught in a conversation with a couple who – despite their fortune and education – didn’t know when to end a conversation.

Half way through their very boring conversation, a thought passed through your head. Bucky could have fucked you right there and then, and they still would have carried on the conversation.

But you pushed that thought away as quickly as it came. Although, it did try to resurface every ten minutes, when Bucky’s other hand would warm your lower back, your other hip or, briefly, the top of the slit in your dress.

“We really should be going.”

You and Bucky managed to escape. But only for ten minutes. Because the couple were coming back.

“Shit,” you swore under your breath. But Bucky beat you to it. “Fuck-”

You were pulled down a small corridor that led to the back of another room filled with items up for auction, before being pulled into the smaller, darkened alcove in the wall.

The couple passed you both right by, without being noticed.

In the confined space, you and Bucky stayed as quiet as you could. Your hands were on his chest, letting you know that you weren’t alone with the rapid heartbeat in your ears. Though, his was a little calmer than your own.

His own hands remained fixed on your hips, holding you steady on your feet. For a split second, he shifted and his knee brushed your inner thigh.

You bit your lip and closed your eyes.

Then you felt his hands lightly trace up your body. Your breath hitched.

“Is everything okay?” Bucky asked you, his voice in a soft whisper by the shell of your ear.

You nodded and answered quietly. “It’s fine.”

With Bucky’s gaze on you, you started to realise just how small the alcove was. The scent of his cologne was intricately lodging itself into your mind – any time you’d smell that scent, you’d been pulled right back into the alcove.

Then, with a breathy chuckle, he smiled. “Want to get out of here?”

No.

“Think the coast is clear?”

Please don’t be.

Bucky peered around the corner before he turned back and nodded.

“Let’s go.”

Let’s stay.

With Bucky’s hand in yours, he swiftly got you both out of the venue unnoticed. It wasn’t until you were half way down the block, and Bucky was laying his jacket over your shoulders, that you realised you’d forgotten your coat.

“But, you’ll get cold.”

Bucky just smiled. “I’ve got the serum. I can’t get cold, doll.”

“Really?”

“Really,” he assured you.

And for a while, you both just talked. About the night, about the couple that couldn’t seem to take a hint and the fact Bucky had come back early.

And then he asked you to dance.

“There’s no music.”

“We don’t need music. Come on.”

The street was completely empty. A couple of street lamps lit the way, and every once in a while, a taxi would drive down the main road ahead. But other than that, it was just you and Bucky.

“Is this what you used to do?” You asked him after a few moments. “Take a girl out, ask her to dance under the streetlights with you. Bet you were a real heartbreaker.”

Bucky chuckled softly. “Maybe. Just a little. But if this was a date, I would have done this-” Bucky softly dipped you in his arms. “By now.”

He was slow to bring you back to your feet, your forehead against his, your lungs in need of some air despite already being outside.

His palm burned a little on your back. You just wished it would make a permanent mark.

“Does that make this a date now?”

“I don’t know. I’d like it to be,” he admitted to you, honestly. “If I asked you on one, officially, would you say yes?”

“I wouldn’t want to lose you, Bucky.”

“I promise you won’t. If it goes badly, we can laugh about it later. Just, say yes?”

It took you a short moment, but you nodded. “Okay. Yes.”

Bucky walked you back home. And by the time you opened up your door, you walked in to find Kate, Yelena and your daughter all fast asleep on the sofa, the bright colours of the Disney Princess film flashing across their faces.

“Do you want to get her out of the tangle?” You asked Bucky. “I would but I’m afraid to get a fist to my face.”

Bucky chuckled, softly closing the door as he nodded. Even he knew how it was when trying to wake Kate up. She was a fighter until she opened her eyes and realised who was trying to get her up.

Bucky got your daughter out with ease and carried her to bed, leaving you to deal with the two sleeping Avengers.

Meanwhile, down the hall as he laid her in her bed, she woke up briefly.

“Did you ask her?”

Bucky brushed the baby hairs that had fallen from the braids in her hair. He smiled, “Yeah, I did.”

“Did she say yes?”

He nodded. “She said yes.”

She gave a tired cheer before he kissed her head and tucked her in. “Get some sleep, kiddo.”

The moment she rolled over, she was snoring. And just as Bucky passed the guest bedroom, he could hear two more sets of snoring coming from inside.

You crept out of the room and softly clicked the door shut. From there, you and Bucky took your time walking back to the front door.

“About this date-”

“We don’t have to rush anything,” he told you. “If you don’t feel comfortable-”

You smiled. “I was just gonna ask if you’re free on Sunday.”

Bucky was a little surprised but smiled. “I’m free on Sunday. I’ll pick you up at ten?”

It was definitely the earliest date you’d been on.

“There’s a place I want to show you.”

You nodded, “Okay.”

After picking you up on his motorcycle, Bucky drove an hour out of the city to a small town. The entire main street was taken over by a farmer’s market. There were smaller stalls with different homemade items.

You and Bucky ended up picking up a few things for a make-shift picnic in the park before he took you to the local watering hole where a live band was playing and people’s shoes were scuffing the wooden floor from dancing.

“How did you find this place?”

“Barton told me about it.” Bucky told you. “Him and Laura passed through it once before, so I decided to come and check it out. I’ve wanted to show you ever since, but each time I came to tell you, something came up at work so I wouldn’t have been here to show you.”

“But now you are.”

“Now I am,” he told you before he took your hand. “Come with me.”

“Where are we going?”

“We’re dancing.”

It was a small two-step, nothing major. But for you, it felt like everything. Being in his arms again – you knew there would never be another place where you would feel this safe. Feeling his hand in yours, seeing the blush creep up on his cheeks each time you looked at him.

Slowly, the rest of the room disappeared. The music from the band became nothing more than background noise and the only person you could see was Bucky.

And when you closed your eyes, and felt his lips against yours, the only thing you could feel was him.

The light breeze that wafted past the barn doors disappeared, the air of apple pie and ice cold lemonade disappeared from your skin.

The only thing that soaked its way into your bones was the feeling of him. His hand in yours, his other at your opposite hip, holding you flush against him, his belt buckle making a small impression behind the fabric of your outfit.

It was more than you ever dreamt of.

The Talk came two weeks later. The one that neither you and Bucky had mentioned, but had to be done. Because it wasn’t just both of you in the relationship, if you were going to continue.

Your daughter was involved, too.

“She loves you, Bucky.”

“And I’ll never want to see her hurt, either,” he finished. “I never want to hurt either of you, ever.”

“I know.”

“So, we take it slow,” he offered. “But I think we should involve her, too. You come as a package deal, and I don’t want to ignore that.”

You gave him a small smile. There had been plenty of one-stop dates who had ignored that fact, plenty who had wanted you to come as a single package.

Bucky was the first.

So, a few weeks later, when a knock came to your door, your daughter beat you to the door and opened it to find Bucky.

“Bucky!”

Your daughter ran for his legs and wrapped her arms around them before she let go and he bent down.

“Why are you here?”

Bucky looked from your daughter, up to you with a half cocked smile. “I’m here to give you these.”

Behind his back, Bucky pulled out two bouquets of flowers. One was a little bigger than the second.

He presented the smaller bunch to your daughter before he stood to his full height and handed you the bigger section.

“And these are for you.”

“Thank you.”

Bucky crouched back down to your daughter. “And I was hoping that you and your mom would want to come with me for the day.”

“Where?”

“It’s a surprise.”

“Okay!” Your daughter turned around and ran back inside.

“Careful, honey. Put your flowers in the kitchen, I’ll put them in some water!”

“Okay!” She yelled back before going to her bedroom to get her shoes.

With the coast clear, Bucky leaned in and pressed three light kisses to your lips.

“You didn’t have to do this, you know.”

“I know, but I wanted to.”

Bucky closed the door as he entered and you walked into your kitchen to run the tap for some water.

“So, where are we going?”

He smiled. “It’s a surprise.”

“From me, too?”

He nodded.

Two minutes later, your daughter came running back down the hall. Bucky managed to scoop her up before she tripped down the small step.

“Got my shoes!”

“Firecracker?”

“Yes?”

“Your shoes are on the wrong feet, honey,” he told her. She looked down, very confused.

Bucky popped her on the kitchen island before offering to fix them. Swinging her feet, she nodded.

As you placed the flowers inside of a vase, finding a smaller one for your daughter’s; you watched as Bucky taught her a trick to always remember her left and right before he reached into one of the cupboard draws and pulled out a small sheet of stickers.

“When the star touches, then you know they’re on the right feet.”

“So cool.”

A little under an hour later, your daughter was on Bucky’s shoulders, looking with amazement at all the artifacts in the museum. You could see her little brain working overtime to find out all the answers to every question she had, knowing she was going to be telling Kate and Yelena all about it in a few days time.

After lunch and the second half of the tour, you heard your daughter gasp before she took your hand and dragged you down the hall.

Secretly having been holding Bucky’s hand, you pulled him with you.

“Slow down, honey. Where are we going?”

“Come on, you gotta see! Come on!”

By the time you both found yourself in the exhibit room, you looked around and realised why she had seemed so excited.

The entire thing was dedicated to Captain America.

“Look, momma. It’s Steve!”

You picked your daughter up and carried her over. “That’s right, honey.”

“Look, Bucky. It’s you.”

Bucky smiled. “That’s me.”

“Why is it not got colours?”

Bucky chuckled. “Because it’s from the 1940s.”

Your daughter watched, puzzled, as a small clip of Bucky and Steve laughing played on the big screen.

“That’s over 90 years ago.”

“Wow, that’s old.”

You and Bucky chuckled lightly, just before your daughter wiggled her way out of your arms. The moment her feet were planted on the floor, she ran over to the small window where people were standing on the scale.

The picture didn’t even move.

“Come here, firecracker.” Bucky scooped your daughter up in his arms and planted himself on the scale. The picture changed and you watched as your daughter looked at herself in uniform.

However, for a glimpse, you caught Bucky’s face in the reflection.

You’d seen plenty of pictures, news segments, documentaries and home videos of Bucky both in and out of uniform, back in the 40s. But there was just something in that moment that it hit you-

Bucky had lived that life. He’d seen that world. If you had met him on the streets of Brooklyn over ninety years ago, you would have been watching him getting shipped out to England.

“Okay, where to next?”

“Hmm, over there! Come on, momma!”

The little voice, filled to the brim with excitement, broke you out of your trance long enough for you to follow after them.

However, hours later; long after Bucky had carried your daughter from her car seat and up the steps and into your apartment. You surprised him.

He was in your kitchen, waiting for the kettle to boil as you got dressed into your home clothes. But, when you returned and he felt his heart light up at seeing you as you, he was shocked.

You hugged him.

He held back the laugh in his chest. “What’s this for?”

“Just because,” you told him.

Then you kissed him.

“And that?”

“That was because I love you.”

Bucky faulted for a moment. He didn’t want to come off too excited in case he’d heard wrong.

“You love me?”

You nodded. “I love you. I’m in love with you. I have been for a long time, but seeing you today…it just hit me. And I wanted to tell you.”

Then he smiled, keeping his hands on your hips as he pulled you closer. “I’m glad, because I’m in love with you, too.”

A smile broke onto your face before it was kissed away by him, his hands pulling you flush against his body.

It had taken years for you to realise, and even longer to work up the courage to tell him.

Who knew all it took was a family trip to the museum?

Thankfully, those family trips started to become more frequent. As did the solo and family dates you, Bucky and your daughter went on.

But, for Bucky, nothing beat the date night you and he had after the parent-teacher meeting you both attended just a little under a year of dating.

It was in that meeting that the teacher gushed over how far your daughter had come in the last year, how incredible her artwork was and how they were looking at moving her up a couple of reading grades.

Although Bucky wasn’t there to create your daughter, or there to cut the cord. She was like him in so many ways, it was scary.

The pouting face when she was tired, the overly cute aggressive face she gave when she was getting competitive. And then there was her love for school. Steve had shown you some of Bucky’s old school reports.

Your daughter was starting to get the same.

Maybe Bucky wasn’t your daughter’s father by birth, but he was her dad in every way that counted. He dried the tears, cleaned the grazed knees, carried her sleeping frame to bed.

And after that parent-teacher meeting, it was going to become official.

He had proposed and you said yes.

And when your daughter had found out the next morning when you and Bucky went to pick her up from the compound, where Sam and Yelena had been put on babysitting duty, she cried.

“Can I call you my daddy now?”

Through your own happy tears, you watched Bucky’s own fall. He was hugging your daughter just as tight as she was holding onto him.

“I’d love nothing more, firecracker.”

#fic rec tag

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