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queers-gambit · 5 days ago

Text

Supposed To

prompt: ( requested ) at the intersection of your cases, you and Bucky have to play man-and-wife. it's hard remembering what things are Supposed To be.

pairing: Avengers!Bucky Barnes x female!Avengers!reader

fandom masterlist: Marvel

collection masterlist: The Main Character trope: fake marriage

word count: 8k+

warnings: author's favorite, cursing, appropriate spoilers (New Avengers), fake marriage trope AND fake pregnancy!! Bucky flirts (OC) heavy, oneshot so there's ingrained background, poor description of espionage, height difference, light NSFW vocabulary, fluff, some small drama, maybe light angst, but happy ending. mentions of illicit crimes: human trafficking [of pregnant women]

"Bullshit! No, no, no, that's fucking bullshit!"

The usual even, set, borderline grim expression Valentina Allegra de Fontaine sported dropped into a confused frown at the shouting of supersoldiers. However, Bucky Barnes' expression remained passive and bored, striding off the elevator when they arrived on the main landing. Personal assistant, Mel, shrugged at Val before the two begrudgingly followed.

"You have to be fucking cheating! How the fuck - "

"What'd I tell you about raising your voice at me, Walker?" Your voice greeted the new arrivals, glancing over automatically as if you could just sense Bucky's presence enter the room. "Bucky, Walker's talkin' outta turn."

"Yeah, I heard, doll," he soothed with a smirk, pausing behind the couch to caress the top of your head in greeting.

"He's yelling."

"I know."

"At me!"

"I know."

"You can't just call your guard dog every time - "

"Walker, you keep yellin' at her and I'll break your arm."

You smirked triumphantly and flipped Walker your middle finger, the usual group gathered to watch anyone pulverize Walker's ability at a few modern videogames. Today's match: Mario Kart, and he was still a sore loser.

"Well, this is cozy," Val commented, drawing the attention to her. "Nice to see you're all taking team bonding really serious." Her arrival made Bob pass off his controller and shy away from Yelena's side to retreat for his reading nook, immediately shrinking behind the screens and bookcases placed for his comfort. If the woman's arrival wasn't enough by itself to set the team on edge, they were certainly sour for her scaring Bob away.

For now, everyone played nice; especially around Bucky, who had become a natural leader since the formation of the team. "Is there a reason you're here?" Ava asked stiffly, taking the controller from John; having called winner two rounds ago.

"As a matter of fact, yes," she sighed, hand out to Mel who placed a tablet in her clutches. "Something's come up that requires our immediate attention."

"Ooooh. Sounds serious," Yelena mocked, nudging your bicep; both rolling your eyes. You only half listened to the woman, mindlessly selecting your character and karts, snickering when John sassily took up the last controller and joined the match.

"There's been a development in the Caldwell Case."

You paused the game, head snapping over with a halfhearted glare; mostly shrouding the pair in confusion with narrowed, accusatory eyes. Yelena protested, but you asked over her, "What development?"

"Oh, you don't know? You've been working this case with Bucky, haven't you, my dear?" She purred.

Your eyes rolled, Bucky easing, "We've all had some stake in the case, Val, get to the point."

"Well," she chirped, "there's intel that suggests there's a major shipment coming in tonight. Caldwell's throwing a banquet as a diversion and alibi and I got ex-Congressman Barnes on the list - "

"What's that to do with any of us?" John scoffed, still brooding over his earlier failure.

"I need all of you in action tonight," she answered simply, hip cocked as she watched the New Avengers each look up at her in skepticism.

Usually the voice of reason, Bucky squeezed your shoulder and pleaded softly, "Doll."

You nodded and shut the entertainment system off, standing from the couch. "We'll hear you out at least. C'mon, guys." There came swift complaint that was silenced by their begrudging agreement, following where you and Bucky lead them to the upper level control system.

"Can you pull up the files as I walk them through it?"

"'Course," you eased, taking a seat at the control panel and navigating the tablet expertly that would display everything on the mounted screens. There had been many late nights working this case and while some were spent simply giving Bucky technology tutorials, it just came easier to you.

Bucky explained to the team, "About 3 months ago, we received intel that Senator Leon Caldwell was selling state secrets. He allegedly owns multiple anonymous subsidiaries and organizations, several of which we've linked to terrorist groups." You clinked through a few slides to show the team what evidence had been gathered. "There's talk of corruption in the upcoming election and Caldwell's been linked to rumors of arming a homegrown militia - who've since been associated with acts of human trafficking..."

"Specifically, trafficking pregnant women," you followed, tapping your files to life. "Which is where I come in - I've been tracking these guys for 6 weeks. There's a pattern of multitudes of women going missing just into their third trimester." You let the map and charts speak for themselves, then throwing a new image on the screens. "And they're also sponsoring tonight's gala, so all donations and such will go to them and whatever egregious play they have at hand."

"Jesus," Ava cursed, her and Yelena looking over the evidence on their personal tablet.

"And tonight," Val stepped forward, "we know several attendees will be those he's put in power of his other orgs; all mixing and mingling with this country's political elite. We're sending all of you into the field. Bucky, you and Y/N are gonna attend the gala and track down IDs; we can't get any cameras inside, it's very anti-technology. In the meantime, Ava, Yelena, and John, we need at the ports to track down what's coming in or out."

"You don't know?"

Val shrugged at Yelena, "Not everything is nice, neat, given to us with a bow on top. Sometimes, we have to actually work."

"Wait, why's Y/N going with Bucky? Wouldn't it make sense to send one of them in the field, too?" John asked, knowing full well you and Bucky might've been the strongest on the team and would fair better in action than espionage.

"Well, first, they're the only ones able to get along long enough to pull this part off," Mel listed. "They also know this case, and we need IDs - this opportunity won't come again," Mel explained, Val waving her off.

"Y/N also isn't a well-known face." You offered her a look of distain, upper lip snarled in offense. "What? It's a compliment. She's gonna play Bucky's wife tonight."

"Wait, what?" You asked, glancing at your comrade.

"It's what his RSVP is for - and you're the bait," Val explained smugly.

"I'm sorry?"

"That wasn't what we agreed to, Val," Bucky growled, shifting to stand somewhat in front of you protectively; making the others share a mild look of amusement behind your back.

Val snapped her fingers at Mel, who paused to wrestle something from her oversized purse. She revealed what appeared to be a synthetic pregnant belly that straps around the waist. "What the fuck is that?" You whispered, slowly standing from the chair to peer around Bucky.

"See?" Val mused, holding the prosthetic baby bump like a prize fish. "They want pregnant women, who's more tantalizing than Congressman Barnes' wife?"

"Ex-Congressman," John corrected with an eye roll.

"You think they're gonna kidnap people from the gala?" You scoffed, but shared an unsure look with Bucky.

"Wouldn't put it past them. C'mon, take it."

"This is ridiculous," Bucky watched the hand off, how you held the strap-on with a few fingers; disgust marring your features. "Y/N isn't bait - nobody would dare put their hands on her - "

Val explained like it was simple maths, "Exactly, see, if she's with you, she's safe as can be while still attracting the right attention. She's the ideal target, everyone's gonna wanna talk to the pair of you - and you can keep a close, personal eye on her, Barnes."

You shrugged at Bucky and held the belly up to your stomach, shaking your head at how ridiculous it was. "Under something, it's supposed to look real," Mel explained to you almost sheepishly. Yelena reached for the prosthetic and comically held it up to herself too; snickering with Ava.

"And what of me?" Alexei asked boisterously, clapping and appearing behind Val and Mel. Yelena dropped the belly in shock, not wanting her father to see her and get ideas she'd never hear the end of; swiftly kicking it towards you.

"You're on transport, Alexei," Val answered, "where if any of the field agents need from one port or the next, you'll be stationed to bring them."

"Excellent - wonderful!"

"Yes, I thought you'd like that," Val hummed, smirking almost knowingly.

You were turned away within your hotel room for the past hour or more, grumbling and gritting your teeth as you angrily got ready. The belly wasn't something that sat naturally or comfortably even when you layered a muscle shirt under it to keep it stationary, ticking your irritation higher. It was mostly fruitless, little tricks unsuccessful in the long run, and no matter what you wore, it looked fake and lumpy.

Footsteps slowly approached, a soft knock at the closed bathroom door. You granted permission, still fighting the belly as Bucky pushed into the room but paused to lean on the doorframe. "Having trouble there, princess?" He smirked teasingly, casually fixing his cufflinks.

"It's kinda ridiculous," you chose to ignore his little jab in favor of complaining. "It's supposed to be a simple device, sure, but it - doesn't - sit - right." Grunts filled between your words, forcefully trying to situate the belly.

"All right, all right, this is just sad. C'mon, stay still," Bucky chuckled while pushing off the frame. The movement drew your eye to rake him over top to bottom.

"Oooh, you look niiiiice," you distracted yourself when Bucky strode over the marble floor to stand behind you. "You sure clean up, don't'cha, old man?"

"Thank you, doll," he teased, taking a look at the straps. "Besides this, you almost ready?"

"Yeah, just gotta get the dress on - oh, shit," you chuckled when he yanked on the prosthetic enough to make you stumble back a step.

"Sorry, sorry," he sincerely rushed. You snickered assurance it was fine while holding the belly in place. "Uh, so, this is... Uh, I don't - I'm not sure how to say this."

"Oh, you just start at the beginning."

Bucky's face over your shoulder in the vanity mirror was soft and his lips were turned up at the side. "I think your undershirt's getting in the way," he informed.

"Oh," you eased, tugging the material up towards your breasts to free from under the belly and wrangle it over your shoulders and head. It left you in athletic shorts and a black silk bra. "Better?"

"You're very brazen," he noted, focusing on fixing the belly's structure.

"You said it was in the way!"

"So, you strip?"

"Nervous to see a woman in her bra, Agent Barnes?" You couldn't help but tease. "It's basically the fashion now adays."

"Women in the '40s dressed in a very different manner," he chided.

"Could just thank me for giving you a new record for getting a lady to pop her top for you."

"That's not exactly something to brag about. Moments like that should be revered - private."

You purred, "Oh, Mr. Barnes, how you're a man outta time."

His cheeks flamed, distracting, "There, how's that?"

"Is it... Too loose? Does that look right?" You turned in the mirror, hands splaying this way and that. "It's not laying flat, here, look - "

"All right, lemme try... This..."

You held still, letting him make adjustments. "So, who'd you prefer?"

"What'd you mean?"

"Ladies from your time or mine?"

Bucky met your eyes as he clipped the final strap, belly finally snug, secure, correct. "Yours. Definitely yours," he purred. "That better?"

"Way better, thank you," you surveyed in the mirror. "Here, uh, could you give me a second, I'll need you to zip me in." He agreed, watching you retrieve your dress from the plastic protection wrap hanging on the back of the door. Bucky had never assisted a woman in dressing for a formal event before, shifting awkwardly as you shimmied the material up and over your hips. You smirked at his sheepishness, taking mercy and turning your back, "Okay, here, can you zip me in?"

Bucky didn't verbally agree, just reaching out to pull the zipper from the bottom to top of your spine; incessantly careful not to touch your skin. You situated the dark royal blue top again and checked your reflection, humming at the sight of your fake baby bump on sparkly display.

"Well, my, oh, my," you sang, stepping back to stand beside Bucky and take his arm, "don't we look handsome?"

"You look... Wow," he nodded, eyes raking over your newest curves. "Just gorgeous, sweetheart."

"I can't tell, but this look might be giving me baby fever."

"What's that...?"

"Mh, basically when you start craving a baby," you explained casually, brushing off invisible flecks of dirt while admiring your reflections. "You know, I like us matching," you mindlessly complimented, realizing how it sounded and quickly trying to save, "I-I mean, in this color - I like us both in this color - both separately and, like, together, but I mean, like - you look nice in royal blue - really nice - and I think this dress looks good, it's all just a good look - you know, like, overall."

Bucky smirked, "It's a good overall look, doll, yeah."

Feeling flushed with embarrassment, you waved him after you, "Okay, yeah, c'mon, let's go, it's too emotional for me in here." Upon reentering the hotel room, you packed your thigh holster with items displayed on the bed.

"I thought playing man-and-wife would make us emotional?"

"Yeah, well, that's a show for the public," you deflected, "so no need to get into it just yet, right?"

Bucky watched you for a moment, considering how you would shy away from genuine emotion more than he. Over the past couple years, Bucky had taken therapy ten times more seriously and began to notice a change in himself; making a conscious effort to be more engaging and open with those around him - especially the team. He had to admit, it was odd going from a singular lethal machine to a team player, but Bucky had the ability to adapt; he'd never had an issue following Steve and surely, there were other worthy leaders in this world. But Bucky was slowly finding his stride as a leader himself; someone who commands and leads, considers the greater good; is calculating but not conniving; stealthy, not secretive; rational, selfless, and considerate.

When conjoined as a team, Bucky naturally gravitated to you after having few interactions in the past - mostly Avenger related situations. You knew Steve and Sam, Tony and Natasha, Wanda and The Vision; yet never truly joined their team, something akin to a lone wolf. Then Valentina came into operation, you were consistently employed; but so lead into the entire situation at hand where Val tried to dispose of her supersoldier mercenaries and inadvertently formed the New Avengers.

Bucky felt like he was hitting a brick wall with you sometimes.

Easily the most familiar on the team, the pair of you got to know one another more intimately. It soon became dynamic to find one with the other, like your minds were connected by an ancient string that none others could appreciate. The two of you moved fluidly; complimentary and anticipatory, where you needn't communicate to understand what the other needed or when. For a brief moment, he thought the pair of you made so much sense, he might've questioned if you had been created in a lab for him before being wiped from his memories. Yet when few walls dropped and the pair of you confided in the other, spilt secrets, spoke candidly about certain woes and experiences or feelings, Bucky could feel you reinforcing the rest of yours. If he got too close, you were reforming boundaries and keeping a safe distance that would maintain appearances but diminish authenticity.

He wanted to open his mouth and possibly confront you, but while a healed and still-healing man, Bucky wasn't there yet and instead, fixed his growing hair in a wall-mounted mirror.

"Okay, so," you situated the holster in place, "did you get the camera?"

"What's that now?"

With a smile, you retrieved the minuscule camera Ava packed and approached him. "This," you explained, situating it into his lapel, "is a tiny camera that's gonna see everything you see. It's transmitting... So it's being uploaded to our file data base as it records. Somewhere in this Godforsaken city, Alexei is sat with an old laptop, he's gonna be watching and trying to make IDs as we go. Mel and Val are doing the same from wherever the hell they are."

"So they can see?"

"Mhm. Once I turn it on - which I will when we leave."

"Do you have one, too?"

"Oh, no, no where to hide it on this dress," you snorted with a small shake of your head. "No, I have the mics clipped in my hair."

"So, we're gonna need to stick together to make sure we pick up everything? Right?" He whispered, watching you fix and fiddle with his suit.

"Exactly right. You know," you commented in a whisper, "this just really brings out your eyes."

"What? Work?" Bucky joked with a teasing smirk.

"No, the suit," you huffed, petting his lapels in place. "Okay, so, what's the cover tonight?"

"Doll, I have it all memorized - "

"Prove it. Tell me. How did we meet?"

The group of older, wealthy, politically-affiliated men and women cackled with those rich, snooty laughs at you and Bucky. "No, honest story," he reiterated, "there I was, dripping in scalding hot coffee, and all she could manage to say was - "

"'My muffin!'" You mocked yourself, the group laughing again as Bucky beamed down at you.

"Oh, a woman after my own heart," one of the audience members complimented with a small wave of their hand.

"I had my priorities straight," you mocked, fluttering your lashes; causing the ladies to snicker.

"You can see why I fell in love at first sight," Bucky muttered to the men beside him; fingers flexing to pointedly dig into your ribs.

"She's timeless, Barnes," another agreed. "Hard to believe after all that, she still gave you a chance."

The group snickered as Bucky just shrugged and pet your waist protectively with his flesh hand, "Well, I bought her two new muffins and she's been spilling coffee on me ever since."

You couldn't dwell on his sweet words, tacking on, "Oh, you know how I just relish the extra housework, getting those extra stains out."

He grinned at you, making the collective thought pass in a wave among the audience: so that's what his smile looks like.

"Well, that's wonderful, Barnes, good for you," Senator Reeves complimented while clapping Bucky on the vibranium bicep, immediately wincing and wagging his hand out. "Glad to see you're embracing some, uh, modern marvels."

Ice rattled the glass Bucky lifted to his lips while easing, "Modern? No, sir, I'd marry her in every lifetime."

Despite the lack of alcohol, your stomach warmed and turned fuzzy, feeling as if breathing was a chore. Your emotional dams were typically steel traps, but Bucky had a way of leaking past those barriers; so while you were well aware of the job at hand, my God, did it feel otherworldly to hear him claim you so proudly. Definitively.

"You sound whipped, my boy," Reeves cackled. "You're telling me, you adore this woman that much and still chose to waste her time with us boring folk? Now, that's just mean."

The group shared another laugh as Bucky sipped his whiskey again. He was mildly impressed by the way you jumped in effortlessly, "No, no, that was all me - I told him we needed to be more charitable." You felt the way your 'husband' shifted anxiously and knew he was beginning to struggle keeping appearances. The conversation called Buck back to attention, giving you time to visually rake over the party guests, mostly just noticing the amount of dollar signs in this very room. Only half-listening to the rather haughty conversation, you squeezed Bucky's waist and whispered the code, "Think I need some water."

"Of course, sweetheart." He kept you by his side but retracted his arm from your waist only to take possession of your hand. "We'll see you ladies and gentlemen around."

With a halfhearted dismissal, you and Bucky stalked through the gala attendees to approach one of the refreshments bars. "You okay?" You stepped into his side to ask quietly.

"Good, yeah," he muttered.

"James."

"The slinking around, I'm good with, fine - but the talking. That's where it gets me, doll, and I feel like I'm not blending-in as well as I want to be."

"That's why I'm here," you assured softly, pausing to accept a water glass from the kind waitstaff. "Just gotta play dutiful, attentive husband; I can do most of the talking."

"So I'm just the arm candy?"

"Exactly," you chuckled. "Hey, you're the one who didn't tell them you had a smoking hot wife when in office."

"Wasn't their business. They're lucky I'm letting them see you now," he growled, glancing up at the bartender. You're both just playing a role, it's not real - it's not real - it's not real, you reminded yourself. He handed the bartender his empty glass and ordered a refill double whiskey. At your look of reprimand, he smirked, "It's okay, sweetheart, know I can't get drunk."

"Mhm," you teased, smirking gently, "but it might make you tired, we're gonna be here a while longer."

Bucky's arm tightened to bring you flush into his side, growling, "I don't get tired." The look of shock was impossible for you to fight, words evading you.

"Jesus, are we supposed to listen to them flirt the entire time?" A voice whined from your inner ear. "Just fuck it outta your system, you two."

"Fuck off, Mel," Bucky growled, bowing his head to brush his lips over your forehead to disguise his words.

"If you don't like it, don't send us on missions together," you shot into his shoulder, smiling up at Bucky - causing him to break and send you one right back. His hand lifted to gently pet a crooked finger down your cheek as if petting the velveteen petal of a fresh floral.

There was some grumbling over the line as Bucky scanned the room while you accepted his whiskey. "Uh, problem," he looked down at you, relaying, "I've eyes on Conrad Cross."

Your own widened a fraction, Bucky pulling you safely into his opposite side as Valentina was heard, "Get him on the feed, Barnes! We need a positive ID!"

"Fuck me," you whispered, clearing your throat and handing Buck the glass as he adjusted his jacket and turned you towards the room. "Okay, just - let's walk around, speak quietly, make it look like you're just telling me who's who, what's what. Lean into it, people tend to look away from PDA."

He agreed, guiding you around the semi-crowded floor slowly with his lips at your ear, hands around your waist or hips or on your belly; strategically maneuvering to get an image of notorious arms dealer, Conrad Cross, on camera. This was a tricky situation to be in because Bucky's gentle caresses practically sent you into heat and Conrad was virtually the one person you didn't want to see here tonight. He was for sure able to identify you after a close encounter a few years prior, the large scar cutting through his right eyebrow and down his cheek guaranteed he remembered you.

"Just stay close," Bucky whispered, turning your back to Conrad and situating himself so his suit could film the target. "You're okay, pretty girl, you're doing great," he praised, hand lifted to hold your waist as you sipped your water.

"Val? Got it yet?" You asked into the rim of the glass. Several seconds ticked by.

"Got it."

Bucky was turning you to flee, but froze when his name was called. "Ah-haaa, the famed Winter Solider, no fucking way," the madman leered as he approached. He chuckled and wagged a finger, "I was told you'd be here but I didn't dare believe it." Bucky stiffly regarded Conrad, jaw clenched at the old moniker; hand tight in yours, but you turned into his side as a supportive wife would. He knew you were consumed with panic by the way he felt you nervously twitch and planted a warm hand on your waist.

"I don't recognize that name anymore," he grit stiffly, truthfully just wanting to get you out of there.

"Apologies, friend," the heavy accent mocked, "just a big fan. Wasn't a huge supporter when you went into politics though, but, uh, I get it now."

"Right," Buck's hand tightened on you, "well, it's been a pleasure - "

"Oh, right, sorry, uh," he offered his hand, "Conrad Cross, independent contractor."

Bucky was forced to release his hold on you, shaking the hitman's hand, "James Barnes, you can call me Bucky."

"Oh, right," he smirked. "Sure it's not Sergeant?"

You went rigid, but Bucky just chuckled and slid his hand back around your waist again. "Bucky's just fine. If you'd excuse us - "

"This your lady? Oh, didn't know it was date night."

Bucky froze, curling you a fraction closer, "Yes, but we should be going - "

"Conrad, little lady," his hand jutted out, "Conrad Cross."

You nodded and shook it while giving a fake name, "but I go by Mrs. Barnes."

Conrad chuckled and flashed a shiny gold grill, directing at Bucky, "Now, that's a woman. What's a pretty little thing like you doin' with a machine like this, darlin', 'uh?"

"As opposed to a machine like you?"

"Hmm, you know me, girlie?" He growled, nodding with a teasing smirk, "Got quite a mouth on you - "

"No, no, just very protective of my man," you cleared your throat and nervously scratched hair at your temple. "What is it you do, Mr. Cross? Are you a charitable man?"

"In fact, I am," he boasted, "and couldn't dare miss tonight; there's a few, uh, potential new correspondences t'be poached here, thought it's a good place to rub a few palms."

"So why's Bucky one of 'em?"

When Conrad's eyes narrowed and his canines flashed, Bucky distracted, "Right, well, it's been nice to meet you but we're needed elsewhere. Excuse us." Conrad just hummed and watched you and Buck turn to rush away, who hissed in your ear, "You know, for someone who doesn't need a hitman recognizing her, you sure like to give one attitude."

Your cunt clenched at the low octave of his voice and the feel of his hot breath beading on the shell of your ear yet still managed, "Guy's a jackass, it's physically impossible to play nice. And he was talking to you funny!"

"I can fight my own battles."

Before you could think, you growled, "Nobody talks to my man like that."

Bucky didn't miss a beat, hissing, "You could've pissed him off, been made, gotten hurt. You didn't have to be so biting or sarcastic, sugar."

"I'm sorry! It's my native language, I don't know any different!"

Bucky just shook his head; and through the crowd, located the main character, the center of your cases, Senator Leon Caldwell. Lost in the people now, you both paused to take in the sight, his voice directed down at you, "All right, there he is... What time is it?"

Lifting to your toes, Bucky's arm coiled around your waist to practically keep you on his hip, ensuring the curve of the bump was pressed firmly into his abdomen as you spoke in his ear, "We gotta keep him in sight another hour."

"So, we hang back and move in when he makes any escape." Bucky surveyed the room, caressing the bump mindlessly.

Glancing at the action, you mocked with a knocking grin in his ear, "If I didn't know any better, Mr. Barnes, I'd say you were enjoying this."

"Can you blame me?" He shot right back. "C'mon, doll, it's our one night not kicking, punching, shooting our way out."

"Oh, is that the only thing you're reveling in right now?"

He gave you a rare, Cheshire grin.

It was simple enough, mingling with the occupants while sipping complimentary drinks and keeping Senator Caldwell in your line of sight. You made several in-person IDs and managed to evade cutting actual checks, mindlessly rubbing your fake bump to keep appearances. Bucky clocked every movement, smirking and relishing in the cover; basking in the lie. A few times, his hand reached for a simple caress of his own, even when nobody was around to witness.

It drove you absolutely insane. While everyone else would need permission before touching you, the 'father' didn't have such restrictions and was all too eager to lay a warm hand lovingly on the squishy prosthetic. Though you didn't feel it, the knowledge of actions was erotic in a strange sense, but also intimate; especially when you clocked that look in his eyes that boasted pride.

It's supposed to be fake; a mission, a lie. So why did it all feel too real?

The pair of you always had an eye on Caldwell through your rotation of drinks and mingling. The times Bucky spoke, it was usually to direct questions and his responses were curt and direct; no fluff or allusion behind his words. The most animated he became was when someone asked if the two of you had thought of names yet. You said This or That for a girls name, and Bucky's hand immediately magnetized to the swell of your belly while answering, "If it's a boy, his name will be Steven - Steve, for short."

You knew the sentiment and appreciated the idea - quickly shaking yourself from thinking this was some how real. So, in the most playful manner you could, you held his wrist to keep his hand in place and teased, "Or Samuel - Sam, for short."

Bucky's hard glare turned on you in shock, shaking his head and grumbling, "Betrayed by my own wife."

Your grin was authentic and the people around you were entertained, but the way Bucky was looking down at you made it hard to comprehend anything other than the way his molten eyes swam with the deepest parts of his soul. Heat between the pair of you dialed to 11, his mouth parted just right to make the sight irresistible.

Yet before any action could be taken, Mel complimented over the comms, "Doing great, you guys, just 20 more minutes and the others should be at evac."

You hummed and sipped your water, eyes scanning patrons and clocking first, reporting, "Caldwell's on the move."

Bucky looked up as you immediately parted from his side, striding across the floor in an effort to intercept the Senator. You slunk between bodies and smiled in passing, but came to a halt just feet away from your target by an intoxicated woman hanging off a donor's arm.

"Oh!" She dramatically lamented, "You look so beautiful!" You tried to thank her and step around, but she latched to your arms, "You have to be, like, 6 months or something, aren't you? Wow, your bump's so perky - " She laid her hands on your bump, making you flinch, "and you look so fit in this. This is how I think I'd wanna look if I was pregnant! Honey, honey, look - look," she tried to paw for her date's attention towards you and ignoring any sort of attempt. Caldwell was crossing the room. "He's not looking - but you have the cutest bump and I want - "

"Okay, yes, thank you, all right," you pulled away from her, automatically shielding your belly, "but you'll have to excuse me, I need the restroom."

You didn't give her time to comment, yanking yourself back and dodging around her abruptly to the sounds of her protesting and arguing with her date about not getting her pregnant - which was a direct pipeline into him not proposing yet. It would've been comical if you stayed to listen. Instead, you pushed through the throngs of people and came to a halt at the edge of the crowd after catching sight of Senator Caldwell slipping through a backdoor.

"Damnit, fucking werid bitch with no personal boundaries," you hissed, cautious of the people around and quickly schooling your features; fake smile dropping the moment you turned away to locate Bucky in the crowd. He was cutting through people just seconds later, looking angrier the closer he got.

"Don't ever fucking don't that again," Bucky growled when he reached you, seizing your waist and yanking you into him. "The plan was to stick together. Not run off at the first sign - "

"Yeah, well, we're fine, but Caldwell got away down that hall," you nodded towards the side door. "Any ideas, genius, or do you wanna keep scolding me?"

He only paused a moment then pointed, "You head out that door towards the restrooms, I'll follow Caldwell; we'll circle back."

You mocked, "What happened to sticking together?"

"Well, now we have to move," his eyes rolled. "Stay on the comms."

"Sir, yes, sir," you mused, rolling your eyes as the pair of you peeled apart.

"Hey," he caught your wrist, gently guiding you back into his warmth. For a long moment, he looked almost too intense, too concentrated, too concerned as he requested, "Just - stay safe. You're not really in fighting condition."

"James, my sweetheart," you hushed, petting your manicured nails down his chest and muttering almost against his lips, "you know I'm not really pregnant, right?"

His brows were knit in concentration, holding onto you fondly; foreheads resting together, breathing the same air in steady huffs and puffs. "Just say the word, princess, and we can change that," he breathed.

From somewhere, Mel looked to Val and capped her mic, asking, "Are we really supposed to ignore this?" "Mhm."

You quipped, "Well, that's brazen of you, isn't it? That work on your ladies from the '40s?"

"I'm only concerned about the lady in front of me."

"You're a hound."

"Been called worse."

"Could be called better."

"Just call me yours and we'll call it even."

You snorted and nudged him off you, body overheated and flushing with anticipation, desire, longing and lust. When you ducked through the door leading to the restrooms, Bucky followed where the Senator was seen. Through different halls and directions, you and Bucky crept along the banquet's back halls, unaware the other was having a nearly identical anxiety attack. The lines of professionalism were blurring the longer the night went on, making you both nearly tremble from the release of adrenaline; needing to engage something deep and nearly forgotten to keep heads on straight.

You were trained to be a machine on your own, affection and any sort of emotion the grains of sand in your fine tune. There was supposed to be no room for something so serious and intense, it wasn't how you were programmed - hence why you never joined the Avengers the first time around. Now, being on this team, you were forced to adapt to survive and that made you vulnerable, and Bucky was that single grain just beyond reach that still managed to gum-up your mechanics. His behavior tonight all but shut you down, caused a clog in your internal turbines that made reality questionable.

How one man made you come this undone was unfathomable. Yet, here you are, panties warm and damp from the evening's intimate interactions with the man who was supposed to be your teammate. It was nearly embarrassing how flushed he made you from what was supposed to just be another mission.

That seemed to be that evening key term: Supposed To.

In tandem, you and Bucky discovered different back rooms - none of which had what you were looking for, but it didn't stop you from poking around. The pair of you covered more ground when apart, neither coming across anything or one, but then, you rounded one of the bends in the hall to discover Senator Caldwell speaking with Conrad Cross and various other henchmen. You stopped short but it was too late; they had seen you, you saw them, and Conrad was lifting a finger and hatefully roaring, "Her! I fucking knew it was you!"

Caldwell rolled his eyes, "Come now, Cross. She's just somebody's wife - "

"Not just somebody - the Winter Soldier's wife!"

You just held your hands up innocently, eyes shifting back and forth as you mapped both an escape route and plan of attack in your head. Senator Caldwell turned with a degree of interest, brows perking up his forehead, "Oh really, now? Huh, she's prettier than I thought."

"She's like him," Conrad snarled, flexing his fists, "a fucking freak, psycho killer!"

"Now, wait just a minute - "

You were cut off by the Senator waving off, "She is of no interest to me, then. Do what you want with her - but don't let that baby go to waste."

"Yes, sir," Conrad growled with a sick grin; the Senator slipping out another door that left you and the others in a stand-off. For a moment, it was quiet and nobody moved.

When the first two men surged forward and you prepared yourself for the fight, you were surprised when a hulking form came striding past you; a literal breeze blowing off their surge. As quiet as a church mouse but as broad as a wildebeest, Bucky had located you, clocked the threat, approached from behind to easily surpass you and engage the first fight for you. He easily overtook the two men and advanced menacingly towards the seven others.

"Go!" He barked over his shoulder. "Team's not at evac yet, we need to delay Caldwell!"

"Bucky - "

"Go, Y/N!"

You huffed and easily took off after Caldwell while Bucky covered your escape out the side door; abandoning your heels along the way and finding a way to pin your dress. Caldwell wasn't far and there came a single opportunity to knock him out from behind and leave him locked in a room - so, you took it and left the man with his belt tied around his hands and decorative handkerchief stuffed in his mouth. You took his watch and wallet for appearances, locked the room, and ventured back the way you came to search for Bucky.

Over the comms, Mel called your name and updated, "Team's confirmed from evac. You and Barnes are cleared for departure."

With relieved assurance you'd grab your teammate, you turned into the last hall and found Bucky punching Conrad Cross down off his knees. He went to punch him again, but the man wasn't moving, so you spoke in distraction, "Hey, hey, so, listen - I left Caldwell in a room, Val said nonlethal - boo, boring, I know. So," you held up the watch and wallet, "I robbed him." Bucky stared at your shit-eating grin incredulously, hands lifting to his hips while shaking his head with suppressed amusement. "All right, c'mon, handsome," you stepped into his chest and laced your hands together again, purring, "better soak all this in 'cause team's good, they made it to evac..." You trailed off; his mouth just over yours, open as if preparing to slot together, making your brain short circuit and spark with dysfunction. His eyes flickered between your mouth and eyes, begging you to stop him, but you mindlessly continued, "S-So w-we, um, we should," he was getting closer, "um, should get outta here - "

Conrad groaned from the floor and tried to lift himself, Bucky immediately shuffling you to the side.

"Sorry, sugar - just - hang on," he stomped on Conrad several sickening times as if personally offended by his consciousness.

But the mission was to be nonlethal... So you reached for him, "Buck, hey, hey, hey, you got him, you got him, baby, we can go, we're good, c'mon."

He allowed you to only get a few feet before yanking you to a halt, "Hang on, wait a second. Hey, hey, hey, lemme see you, c'mere," he pleaded, hand raising to caress your cheek and search you head to toe. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"Buck - hey, nobody so much as touched me. I promise, I'm all right." You laid your hand flat over his flesh hand on your cheek, "Hey, look at me." Waiting until those wide, tired blue eyes met yours, you continued, "I'm good. Are you?"

He nodded, both glancing around at the bodies he left you stood among. "I just... It was..." Bucky looked painfully confused, stuttering, "I felt... It felt - I forgot you aren't really pregnant and just reacted."

With impression, you mused, "Well, if this was you reacting to a fake baby bump, hard to imagine what you'd do if it were real..."

Bucky's head shook, scanning the room again. "Nobody touches my girl."

You tried to snicker, "Oh, shut the fuck up, you know what? We don't have time - "

"So when you said the same earlier, was it just because people were around?"

"Well, no, nobody heard us."

"Exactly. Just like now. So why is it when you say it, it's part of the mission, but when I do, there's no time?"

You despised being put on the spot. "Seriously? You wanna do this right now?"

"Right now."

The nerve. "Jesus, fuck, Buck, what do you want me to say?"

He stared at you for a long moment, then asked, "Is it just me? Am I alone in feeling whatever's goin' on between us?"

The urge to demand his elaboration was fought off with a mental stick, knowing you had staved the man off as long as you could and here was the catalyst. The urge to vomit churned violently as if induced by the Spinning Teacup ride at Disney World, forced to swallow pooling spit harshly while your eyes turned glassy and skin clammy. Nerves prickled skin with discomfort, molten blood singeing veins into nothing, rooted in spot and held captive by the smoldering storm brewing in your counterpart's eyes. You opened and closed your mouth three times, wishing the words could just fall out but each time, getting caught in your throat.

And of course, Val had to chime in through the comms system, "Either answer him, L/N, or get a move on."

Your eyes rolled, "You're the worst, Val."

"You two wanna get caught without weapons around a bunch of fucked up mercenaries, be my guest, I'll make sure there's always flowers on your graves."

"Bitch." Your hand laced with Bucky's and easily navigated back towards the restrooms. You shot at him over your shoulder almost angrily, "I'd appreciate if we could pin this conversation until we don't have an audience."

"Fair enough," he agreed, glancing at the way your hair was pinned off your neck with a set of disguised microphones.

Stumbling out of the hall, you were forced to reenter the gala to cut across the chamber for the exit. With firm grips, you and Bucky tried to smoothly escape, but found yourself intercepted by a drunken Senator Reeves.

"Ah, I was looking for you two," he crooned.

"Right, well, apologies, Senator, but my wife isn't feeling the greatest and we should be going."

The older man with fully grey hair chuckled and clapped him again on the vibranium bicep. Only the alcohol in his system made him absorb the impact better, no more than a single flinch before he was nodding, "Oh, yeah, I bet. Didn't give it to her enough back there, aye, Barnes?"

Your eyes widened at the innuendo, but Bucky was just deflecting, "A woman as pretty as mine, you tend to find any excuse to get her alone. It's hard keeping your hands to yourself. Always nice to see you, sir, have a good night."

As he lead you through the gala doors, you managed to peak back and catch sight of the Senator gossiping childishly with others around him. It wasn't the worst cover story, someone claiming to see you and Bucky sneaking back from the restrooms together after 'obviously' fucking. It might work in your favor when Caldwell and Cross came to.

"We good, Val?" You asked quietly, you and Bucky heading for the valet for the car that would take you to the airstrip to fly back to New York.

"We're verifying everything now, just a sec." You perked a manicured brow at Bucky, approaching the car arranged for you. As Bucky opened the door and helped you step in, Val was affirming, "We have all we need. For now, you're good. Hotel's been cleaned out, too, so just head for the airfield."

"Great, see you when we get back," you sighed, immediately reaching up to yank out your inner ear comms. The door shut after Bucky got in beside side you as you were pulling your hair pins out, calling to the driver, "The airstrip, please."

The car pulled away. You knew it was a solid half hour ride to the jet and rolled the privacy partition up.

"What're you - ?" Bucky froze when you turned over in the seat to paw at his jacket. He let you shut off the camera and toss it to the cupholder holding your mics, reaching for Bucky's cheek and gently plucked his inner ear system out. When alone, you redirected his attention to you.

"No."

"No?" He repeated, vibranium arm opened to let you into his side, petting where it laid along the outside of your thigh.

"Bucky... You're not alone in whatever's going on or felt between us. It's there for me too but I don't - I don't know what we can actually make of any of it, but no, you're not - "

Bucky's flesh hand hooked around the base of your skull, insisting you forward to let his lips meet yours in unadulterated passion that bordered on fury. The metal hand at your thigh migrated a cool path up to your hip under your dress, kneading supple skin. There was no direction; no sense; no awareness; no nothing, no anything, no everything; there was only Bucky. His heat, his taste, his smell, his grip, his tongue, his beard; the car warm with a erotic tension as Bucky fluffed with an old, once-forgotten ego that swallowed you whole.

There was no beginning, no end. There was no right, no wrong. There was only Bucky.

He was both sin and salvation. A beacon and nightmare. A blessing, a curse; temperate, unpredictable; sweet, so very salty. Masculine and strong, considerate and kind. He was all you knew and nothing you've experienced. The storm, the sky break. You wanted none of him if you couldn't have all of him; desperate to eliminate all air and space between you to become one single entity. One form. One thought.

Bucky's hand changed tactics; perpetually cool metal grazing skin to caress your cheek and hold you to his lips while his calloused hand pushed around the material of your skirt to encourage you into his lap. Once seated in a straddle, there came a moment of clarity; hand shoving into his chest to stop him, halt him, forcefully pressing pause. Bucky's head bounced off the headrest, looking bewildered as his hands immediately dropped any hold to raise innocently in the air, but before he could open his mouth, you were questioning, "The fuck are we doing?"

"C'mon, doll, even I know an old school session - "

"No, I mean - this kinda violates every rule in every book known to employees everywhere. You're not supposed to fraternize with coworkers or employers or whatever - "

"Supposed to? Baby, as far as I'm concerned, we're supposed to be together. Listen, hey," he whispered, hand caressing your cheek once more and forcing your gaze, "this isn't a mission to me. This isn't work. I dare any of them to say anything 'cause you're you and I've waited this long for you, baby, I'm not gonna just let you go."

"So, we're okay?"

"We're okay," he promised while brushing a single lock of hair from your forehead with the same gentle precision of a butterfly kiss.

"We're still - you know - good on being teammates?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"But, like, teammates who fuck?"

"I was thinking something more, like... Teammates who're together...? No, uh, teammates in love? Wait, that doesn't sound much better, does it?"

"We'll work on it," you promised, nodding vigorously before reconnecting your lips to his in a brutal display of affection.

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queers-gambit · 5 days ago

Text

Daddy's Girl

prompt: coming off an emotionally draining stunt at work, Bucky's looking forward to a little downtime with his family. only, the kids seem to forget they have two parents.

pairing: Mafia!Bucky Barnes x Stark!mom!female!wife!reader

fandom masterlist: Marvel

word count: 8.1k+

note: the Stark thing kinda accidentally happened, please roll with it!

warnings: very docile angst. family angst. some relationship angst. Stark!reader, mom!reader, wife!reader. author misses her grandparents so this has threads of nostalgia (kinda). probably Lord's name in vain, briefest of child injury, briefest mention of blood, lotta fluff, lotta exposition, cursing! not really Mafia but i'm claiming it as a Mafia!AU, girl!dad!Bucky.

"Hi, my beautiful babies!" You beamed, arms opening as you dropped to a squat in front of your car parked along the curb. Two little girls, bright-eyed with toothy-grins, bounded over the front stone courtyard and directly into your arms. "Oh," you cooed, "there you are - there're my girls, hi, hi, hi," you volleyed between their cheeks with kisses as you spoke. "Who's ready for the official start to summer?"

"Me, me, me!" Your 4-year-old, Juniper, cheered as she bounced in her spot after you released them. Daisy, being just 3, didn't truly understand the concept of summer and just began cheering with her sister.

"Okay, okay, all right," you grinned, standing to offer both hands and escort them to the back of the sleek sedan. "Okay, my beauties, how're we feeling? Daisy? You okay, baby?"

"'M tired, Mommy," Daisy rubbed her eye as you settled her into her car seat.

"Yeah? That's okay, baby, it's been a long day, huh?" She nodded sleepily. "You hungry? Wanna nap before dinner?" She just nodded, already dozing off. "Okay, hey, Junie, can you strap in - good girl, thank you," you praised when she did exactly as you'd asked. "What about you, baby, anything you wanna eat?"

"Cheeseburgers!"

You chuckled, "Uh-huh, what's with you and cheeseburgers lately?"

"Papa makes them."

You hummed knowingly, shaking your head while situating Daisy safely. "Well, maybe we could ask Papa if we could have some burgers later, huh?"

Her little feet tapped together in excitement, "We're going to Papa's? Can Daddy come, too?"

"Oh, well, uh, Daddy's - "

"At work," she finished for you sadly, making you sigh as you double checked her safety belts.

"We'll ask him, baby, 'cause at work or not, Daddy's still gotta eat," you assured softly. "And hey, I'll ask Papa when a good time to visit is," you grinned before climbing in the driver's seat. The drive home wasn't anything special, just Junie telling you about her day and all she wanted to do for the summer; from swimming to riding bikes to playing soccer with her Daddy to catching fireflies to lighting off fireworks to working on her terrace-top vegetable garden with you. She might've been the one kid who ended the whole spiel with being excited for school to start again, but she was very proud to be starting kindergarten. Though nicknamed a "cousin", her aunt, Morgan Stark, was only about a year older and told her alllll about how much better kindergarten was, so naturally, your little girl was rearing to "catch up".

You knew by the time next year started, Morgan would have a whole list of why 1st grade was better and the cycle would continue until Junie understood what was happening.

You carried a napping Daisy into the private apartment penthouse with Junie on your hand, nodding at the doorman as you passed; kind enough to follow after you and use his keycard to call the elevator for you. Arriving at your private floor, you assured Junie you'd call Grandpa Tony after you laid her sister down for a nap, gasping when a shadow moved in the living room. Immediately, you yanked Junie by her hand behind you and switched Daisy to your far hip, but deflated a fraction when Bucky appeared clearly in the doorway.

"DADDY!" Junie shrieked, rushing forward; little sneakers clearing the glossy floor to leap into his open arms.

You seethed silently, readjusting your 3-year-old in arm when she whined and buried into your neck.

Bucky greeted his daughter happily, pressing rapid kisses to her cheek and forehead, lifting her in arm while looking at you closely. He slowly stalked forward, muttering to his excited daughter before pausing to face you. "Hi, Mommy," he greeted gruffly, voice rumbling.

"Hi, Daddy," you replied softly.

"Mommy doesn't look happy t'see Daddy," he pouted at Junie, who pouted at you.

"Why aren't you happy to see Daddy, Mommy?"

"Mommy's very happy to see Daddy, baby, but we don't wanna be too loud, right? Your sister's sleeping."

"Well," Bucky proposed, "what if we let her sleep in the car a bit longer?"

"What?" You asked dully, Bucky understanding there was something underlying to your tone.

"I thought we could head upstate for the summer," he revealed, watching you with an excited grin as Junie gasped and nearly reared out of his arms.

"Really, Daddy?"

"Yeah, baby, how 'bout it? You wanna go to Papa's?"

"I was just telling Mommy about the cheeseburgers!"

"Well, Papa makes the best burgers," Bucky agreed.

"Can we go swimming?"

"Of course, baby."

"Can we play with the animals, too?"

"If Papa says it's okay."

"Is Morgan gonna be there?"

"I'm sure she will, yeah, baby, how 'bout it?"

"Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah!"

"Yeah?" He grinned, kissing her cheek. "Hey, do me a favor. Go get your toys ready, okay? Hey, hey, look at me, hey, look at me - only three stuffies, okay? Hear me? Three."

"Ten!"

"Three."

"Daddy!" She whined with identical blue eyes. You were sure any child Bucky sired would be cute as hell, but mixed with your genetics and these kids were objectively adorable.

"Fine, five!" He caved, making her giggle and agree; wriggling from his arms until he set her down and let her take off for her toy room. "That girl's gonna be a lawyer," he mused, watching her run off before facing you - smile dropping when he clocked your unimpressed expression. "What?" Your head shook in disappointment. "What? Mama, hey, what's wrong? You're not happy to see me?"

You scoffed, "I gotta put our daughter down for a nap."

"Let me - "

"I got her," you snapped, and if you were an animal, your upper lip would've been snarled in threat to give him reason to need a second prosthetic hand.

In the shared bedroom, you laid Daisy down gently, set her favorite stuffie to her arms, then covered her up. After flicking on a light and starting your timer, you silently stepped from the room and made your way towards your bedroom but paused at the toy room. From the doorway, you warned Junie, "Baby? Hey, hey, Mr. Bunny counts in the five. Okay? All your bedtime stuffies count in the five."

"Oh," she deflated, looking around the mound of options she had. She was very attached to any stuffed animal; this was her Sophie's Choice. "I can only bring five?" She worried, pouting.

"Daddy said five, baby."

She looked like she wanted to argue but just nodded, "Okay, Mommy. Do you think Duckie or Hammie would like Papa's house?"

You smiled softly, "They both would. Narrow down some contenders, baby, I gotta talk to Daddy, okay? I'll be back."

Junie was distracted by the task at hand, basically dismissing you, and when you arrived in your bedroom, Bucky was waiting on the edge of the bed. He leaned his elbows on his knees, wiping his flesh hand down his face when you silently entered with a stormy expression.

"Doll - "

"No," you refused, pointer finger held up in the air, warning him; shutting the door and trying to create the illusion of privacy. "No, you don't get to talk first."

"Peach - "

"Don't!"

"You gotta let me explain," he rocketed to his feet. "Baby, please, you don't understand - "

"What I understand is you went to work ten days ago, Bucky - TEN! Ten! You haven't called, texted, no - "

"I know," he rushed, "and baby, that's what I'm tryna explain. It was a set up."

"What was?"

"The meeting? With that Countess? I've been tryna get home ever since," he rushed. "I didn't leave you, abandon you, I didn't - "

"You kinda did though!"

"My job - "

"You disappeared!"

"We went to London - "

"No!" You warbled. "Fuck, Bucky, what I mean is, your daughters deserve to live in a world where their father leaves out the same door in the morning that he walks through again in the evening - safe. You just up and vanished and I had to keep telling them everything was fine - but was it? No, everything was fucked! I didn't know where you were, you didn't call, text, send me anything, I didn't hear from Steve, Sam kept saying he hadn't heard anything! Fuck you, Goddamnit, it was so scary - not knowing!"

"I know."

"Oh, you know?"

"I know. And I agree."

"You agree?"

"I do."

"Well!" You snapped. "It's kinda hard to be mad at you when you agree with me!"

"Listen, Mama, I want us to use this summer as time to really just be together - no devices unless an emergency, just pure, unfiltered, unimpressionable family time. I told the guys I was taking the summer off, I had everything sent upstate - all our 'scripts, my suits, whatever we need - and I left Natasha in charge while I'm away - but she might come visit us, I don't know - "

"Bucky!" You snapped, hands on your hips. "For fuck's sake, you could've called me with this grand plan! Could've called me and said you were alive - you didn't have to spring this all on me all of a sudden!"

"When? When did I have time to call!?"

"How about just now? Before I got back from pick-up!? So that I wasn't walking into all this!"

"Oh! Well!" He paused, nodding, "Yeah! That would've... Been smart..."

You scoffed, trying not to laugh as he surveyed the area between the pair of you. You calmed yourself and evenly spoke, "Buck. I was really worried. You usually send word, send something - anything - as a sign, but I didn't know or hear anything. Baby, I was worried. And then you stand there and say we're spending the summer upstate? At my father's?"

"It's technically my house," Bucky reminded, making you groan with your hands tossed in the air with exasperation.

"You're never fucking serious when you need to be!"

"Hey," he smirked, reaching for you to wrangle in front of him, "just - I'm sorry, baby, no, hey, listen. I am. I'm sorry. I should've called, you're right - I know. I know, it gets stressful for you, I know it gets bad. But after everything," his eyes glazed with memories he's never let you know, "I just need us all to be together. Please."

You nodded slowly, narrowing your eyes, "You mean, like, an actual summer?"

"What's that mean?"

"I mean, no work."

"I have a couple meetings, but I can save that for early mornings, late nights, it won't impose on us. I'm serious 'bout this, baby, I want this, all of it - you, me, the kids just being kids. Summer fun and memories and shit, you know?"

You considered his proposal, "I have some PTO saved at work. I took the next two weeks off to spend with the girls, but I can see about extending."

"Yeah... Yeah, I'd actually really appreciate that, sugar, thank you. I just need us all t'be together. And like I said, I had some things sent ahead of us so we can stay there for the summer, uninterrupted."

"So you've said..." Something in your stomach prickled, so you pet his jaw and asked softly, "Hey... You okay?"

"Hm? Yeah, baby - "

"No, hey, what happened to you?"

His head shook, caressing the side of your face, "Nothing I wanna talk about yet. I just need to feel... I don't know, uh, normal? Feels like I need some kinda recharge."

"I'll call Papa, see if he's up there - "

"I already did. He's throwing cheeseburgers on the grill for us."

"Oh, my good God," you snorted, Bucky grinning. You easily folded into his chest, leaning into his full embrace. "What'd you tell him?"

"We work together, baby, your father's aware of what happened. He offered we spend a normal summer up there together. With the kids... Our wives."

You stared into his eyes as his crooked finger pet down your cheek. "How convenient I am both his child and your wife."

"It's why I married you, doll," he whispered with a smirk, "for convenience."

"Fuck off," you playfully grit, squeezing around his ribs and making him jolt and tighten his grip on you.

"All right, you," he leered, lips pecking yours. "Why don't you sit down," he proposed, then kissed you again, "relax a bit," another kiss, "and I'll," kiss, "make sure," kiss, "we're packed," kiss.

"The girls - "

Another kiss. "I'll pack them after."

"I can help, Buck. But does it really have to be today?"

"Kinda jumped the gun on that one, huh?" He winced.

"Big time, Daddy," you mused, pecking his lips again.

With the obscene amounts of money Bucky's organization raked in annually, it made sense the administrative members fluffed their portfolios with real estate purchases. Bucky owned a great deal of real estate in the city mostly, but still enjoyed the luxury of owning multiple homes in multiples states and countries. Your father's real estate portfolio saw the ownership of multiple city-dwellings and privately rural homes; but also expanded north to undeveloped areas.

Tony and Bucky went into business developing areas for affordable housing - an idea that Bucky insisted upon once you pitched it. It was never supposed to happen, your father was anally careful to keep you as removed and divided from his line of work for almost 3 decades - but successfully failed. You and Bucky knew each other from both your father's businesses, a specifically niche and unique sort of life experience that bonded you, and developed a sort of indescribable relationship that blossomed into marriage after Bucky's father passed and left him the business.

The upstate house was on one of Bucky's properties in Tony's development; so, naturally, it was a sort of safe house for them both. Tony had his lake house, sure, but this was 100% neutral home, somewhere for your families to simply exist without the pressures of the outside world. It felt almost like a rental, not one of your most frequented properties that felt too homey yet; a gorgeous place on a gorgeous plot of land with farm animals, a private pond, private access road, and even while squinting, there were no neighbors in sight. However, Tony frequented the house so often, the girls thought it was his house.

The SUV was packed, the kids loaded, and for the sake of their innocence, headphones placed over their ears to watch their iPad movies. Bucky insisted he was okay to drive, so you curled up in the passenger seat for the almost 3 hour trip with your playlist fully loaded and snacks at the ready in the tote bag at your feet. Glancing to the girls in the back, you decided to try prying into Bucky's behavior; and since the little ones were good and distracted, the two of you were able to speak candidly about why you felt you were fleeing north.

Bucky assured there was nothing nefarious at play. He just had a long, stressful few months with work and wanted a break somewhere safe he could recharge. You had to admit, Bucky wasn't the type to deplete easily so if he was this adamant on getting away, you knew it was a long time coming and least you could do was respect his desire for rekindlement.

The sky was a painting of oranges, yellows, and pinks against baby blue as the sun moved into position to sink just as you were pulling into the driveway of the upstate house. Lights were on, the garage open, chickens wondering around, and as Bucky slowly rolled up to unload at the front door, it ripped open to reveal your father, Tony Stark. He had a bright grin, wiping his hands on a tea towel from his shoulder, making the girls stir to life.

"Papa!" They cheered happily. You spared Bucky an amused look as Junie tried wriggling from her seat.

"Hang on a second, baby," Bucky told her, but she kept clawing at the straps. "Junie, hey, it's not safe - let me get that."

"Junie," you warned, her hands quieting as her little legs kicked impatiently, "wait for Daddy to get you out."

"But Papa's right - "

"Just wait for Daddy."

She whined in the back of her throat and just fisted the shoulder straps over her, Tony descending from the door as you and Bucky got from the car. You missed the blank expression on Bucky's face because you were too excited to get out and hug your father.

"My girl," he chuckled, "happy summer."

"Hi, Pops."

"Oh, I hate that one."

You just chuckled and pulled back to smile fondly, reaching for the backdoor, "Hi, Dad."

"Hi, peach. How was the drive?"

"A relative breeze," you smiled, Bucky setting Junie free as you reached in to unlock Daisy's straps.

"Papa!"

"June Bug - oh!" He grunted when he caught her, lifting her to his arms and on his hip. "Hi, baby girl - woah, Nellie!"

"Daisy, watch Papa's knees," Bucky scolded from the trunk, unloading the luggage. He kept an eye on her, but she didn't move; just clung harder to Tony's legs as he chuckled and let her. You moved to help Buck as your father set Junie down to properly hug Daisy - who insisted on being picked up, too - and offered his hand to Bucky in greeting.

"Buck."

"Tony."

"Gross," you teased them, passing by with your hands full of totes and backpacks and your purse. Bucky chuckled and followed you, bicep flexing to carry all the luggage; entering the home and spying Pepper in the open kitchen. "Hey, Pep," you called, moving to set everything down in your usual bedrooms.

"Hi, honey!" She called. "Oh! My girls! Hi, babies!" She cheered when Tony came in with Juniper and Daisy. You grinned to yourself and entered your bedroom first, both you and Bucky dropping everything in arm.

"Jesus," you sighed, looking it over, "are we moving in?"

"For the summer," he nodded, smirking and letting his flesh arm hook around your waist and tug you into his chest. His lips landed on your temple as you snuggled into his embrace, "It's good, baby, right? It'll be okay - being here."

"It'll be really good," you promised softly. "Do you feel better now that we're here?"

"A little," he admitted. "Might have a couple other feelings, too..."

"Keep it in your pants, Sarge, I'm starving," you groaned, but still tightened your arms around his waist to give a playful squeeze. He immediately reciprocated, metal hand lifting to caress the back of your head, other anchoring around your lower back. You hummed into his neck, inhaling his musky and cedar scent while laying a few lazy kisses to his flesh; unable to fight the smirk when his hand dropped to palm your bottom. "Buck," you warned into his pulse point, knowing the fire it lit in his belly.

"What?" He chuckled, licking over the shell of your ear as his prosthetic fingers thread in your hair to hold the base of your skull.

"We don't have time," you wheezed, his fingers dangerously curling close to your cunt from where he gripped you.

"Hm?" He mused, easily lulling your head to the side to expose the meat of your neck to him. "C'mon, baby - "

"No, no, no, nope, no, you devil," you squirmed out of his hold, giggling the whole time as it was all too easy to rile you up. You held his hands firmly in both of yours, stiff-armed to your sides. "Let's just get the girls set up and go eat, please."

"You know, with Tony and Pepper here, might be okay to treat this like a little getaway for us, too, huh?"

"Oh, so cute of you to think parents ever get time off," you teased, pecking his lips before pulling back completely in order to grab the girls' bags.

He grabbed their suitcases and followed after you, "C'mon, baby, we're allowed a date night or two. Maybe we can go to that vineyard?"

In the spare room, you set Juniper's bags to her bed and then Daisy's to her own. "Maybe, yeah," you considered.

"It's about us reconnecting, right?"

"It is... But it's about all of us."

"Mhm," he helped you unpack the girls; settling their belongings into the dressers and drawers for them to access.

Once done, the pair of you washed up for dinner and joined the others in the living quarters. Pepper was buzzing around the kitchen, preparing side dishes and appetizers. "Hey, you two," she greeted with a glass of wine handed to you.

"You read my mind," you gushed, accepting the glass before hugging her tightly. "Mh, did you two run up here, too?"

"We were already up here, but Tony called and said we were extending our stay with you two," she smiled, hugging Bucky in greeting. "How was the ride up?"

"Easy," Bucky assured, glancing around.

"Oh, Tony's grilling - the girls wanted cheeseburgers, I'm told," she sent you a knowing smile, "so they're out there helping."

"Well, anything in here we can do?" You asked, rubbing Bucky's back with your free hand. His own planted on the island's counter after rolling his button-up up his forearms. "Want something to drink?" You asked.

"Whiskey's now over there," Pepper smirked, pointing to where a liquor cart was stationed against the dining room wall. "Sorry, I was rearranging."

He teased quietly, "She reads my mind, too, apparently."

You hummed with a smile, nudging him on his way. Almost too easily, you were assimilating into the groove of the kitchen with Pepper; giggling and stepping to the beat of the music she had connected to the speakers. Bucky leaned on a counter and watched with a small smirk, sipping his whiskey on ice before pushing up.

He caught you on a turn and easily joined in a lazy two-step with you. "I'm gonna check on your dad and the girls," he told you quietly, spinning you under his arm.

"Hm, take those to him, please?" You nodded at the tray balanced at the edge of the counter. Bucky nodded in agreement but didn't let go yet, Pepper grinning to herself as she watched the two of you dance for a couple more beats before he was spinning you under his arm again, but releasing you to your separate tasks.

With a small smile, you eased back into chopping vegetables for the salads as Bucky picked up his drink and the tray. You peered across the kitchen, watching Bucky slip out the backdoor onto the porch.

"He seems... Chipper?" Pepper mused, sipping her wine.

You followed suit, quipping, "Chipper, really? You think?"

She hummed, narrowing her eyes, "He's something."

"Think he's just happy to be here, shut himself off for a while. He's had a rough go at work lately," you pouted.

"Tony said it's been... Rougher than usual," she frowned.

"Something like that, yeah. He wanted to get away from the city, reconnect with family up here, said he wanted to recharge."

"Tony said something similar."

"Think they're lying?"

"They do for a living, why wouldn't they to us?"

You didn't like that answer, but didn't push it; just finished your glass and let her refill it while talking aimlessly about work. Things were going well for you, Pepper was loving her current workload, the two of you happily trailing into how the kids were and what summer plans you might enjoy together.

There was discussion of a family camping trip when a sudden clash came from the open doors followed by shrill crying. You and Pepper immediately made for the backyard, revealing Tony and Bucky on-scene where it looked like Morgan and Juniper had collided together on their bikes in the yard.

"Oh," you both tutted, locating Daisy in the yard between you and the girls, sitting in the grass and tugging up tuffs of grass. Pepper called, "Everyone okay?"

"Mommy!" Juniper wailed, pushing Bucky away and sprinting over the grass for the porch. You descended the stairs and met her in the yard, catching her underarms and swinging her onto your hip.

"Oh, baby, what happened? Huh? Lemme see, lemme see your lip, Junie," you cooed, caressing her dirt-smudged cheek to gently thumb her fat bottom lip; trying not to panic at the sight of blood on your child. "Oh, did you bite it?"

"Mhm," she nodded, tears still streaming and sniffling. Tony was holding Morgan in a similar manner, but Bucky was frozen, looking shocked where his daughter had pushed past him in favor of you. "An-And my arm," she whimpered, showing you the gently-weeping scrape. "Mommy, my arm and my head hurts."

"Oh, honey, you're gonna need a bandaid on this, huh? Your head hurts? Did you bump it? That's okay, you're okay, baby, just a bump and a scrape, right? And a little nibble."

"They smacked their heads together, but they had their helmets on," Tony told you, approaching with Morgan in his arms; helmets hanging by their straps from Bucky's metal fingers.

"You okay, baby girl?" You asked your much younger half-sister. She nodded, resting in the crook of Tony's neck. "Yeah? There's a brave girl." You rubbed Junie's back. "How about we all get cleaned up and head in for dinner, huh? Sound good? Yeah?" The girls quietly agreed, Tony nodding at you before heading up the porch for Pepper. You turned to your husband, asking quietly, "You wanna take her or for me to?"

"No, I want Mommy," Junie tightened her arms around your neck.

His throat bobbed harder than normal. "Uh, no, um, you can, baby, she wants you."

There was something happening, but you didn't know how to acknowledge it. What to do. How to approach what you knew was an otherwise sensitive subject. "Buck - "

"It's all right, you two go on," he encouraged, "Daisy and I will help get dinner ready - "

"No, I want Mommy, too!"

You both froze when Daisy climbed to her feet and raced for your legs, clinging tightly. You pet her head into your thigh, sighing sadly as these girls were your ultimate weakness - but so was Bucky. "Honey, Daisy, I gotta help Junie get cleaned up, okay? So, you stay with Daddy - "

"No, Mommy, I wanna come with you!"

Buck looked close to tears, but they wouldn't fall in front of his girls. "Daisy, you gotta stay with Daddy. I need you to stay with Daddy so I can help your sister, all right? Can you do that?" You encouraged her towards Bucky, but she sobbed harder.

"Just let her come," Bucky nodded, turning to head up the porch stairs. You were briefly irritated, where even when your husband was around, he sometimes wasn't around and still left you saddled with both children. But you recognized something was going on with Bucky and that this wasn't malicious, so you grabbed Daisy's hand and encouraged her up the stairs and into the house with you.

Unsure where Buck went, you took the girls to your room and set them both on the bed. "Sit tight," you instructed, ducking into the ensuite bathroom for First Aid supplies you needed. "All right, baby," you cooed, using a warm-wet washcloth to wipe her clean, "here we go, you're okay. Gonna get you nice and clean - there's a good girl. Hey, Junie?" You paused to catch her eye, asking softly, "Why didn't you want Daddy, baby, huh?"

She sniffled and shrugged, "I just wanted you, Mommy."

You nodded, "Okay, well, here, I'm gonna wipe your lip with this - it's gonna sting and taste funny. You ready?" Juniper nodded and let you wipe her cut lip with an antibacterial wipe, then tended her arm before checking her head. When she was good as new with a decorative scrape, you turned to Daisy, "Hey, you." She giggled when you tickled her belly. "Why didn't you wanna stay with Daddy?"

"I stay with sissy."

You cooed and hugged them both tightly, "My girls - so sweet. Okay, c'mon," you pulled back, "dinner time. Huh? Let's wash our hands, ladies."

They followed you into the bathroom and showed off their hand washing skills before the three of you were rejoining the family. You still didn't see Bucky. But to Tony, Pepper, and Morgan, it was like it never even happened. So, the three of you just joined them and set the table, the girls sitting and waiting patiently as the adults dressed the table for the meal.

After you all sat down to eat, you helped Junie dress her plate, Tony helped Daisy, and Pepper helped Morgan; your eldest asking, "Where's Daddy?"

"He's just taking a walk," Pepper answered. "He'll be back, no worries, honey."

"How about we thank Papa for the cheeseburgers?" You smirked, setting Junie's plate in front of her. There came a chorus of little voices all thanking Tony, Pepper refilling your wine glass, Tony playfully stabbing a stalk of broccoli from Morgan's plate. She had a bandaid along her hairline, by her temple, and three minuscule cuts on her wrist but still smiled mischievously at her father.

For the rest of dinner, the six of you asked the girls about their programs; hearing Morgan's rendition of why kindergarten was superior, why Junie was so over pre-k, and all about how Daisy got to paint all day with her friends. She was obviously very content in preschool.

You wrapped the knit blanket around your shoulders, shuffling out to the porch and approaching the figure sat on the back steps. Silently, you sat beside them and huddled into your lap and blanket, staring out to the slope of the lawn where two tiny bikes lay forgotten.

Unsure what else to say to break the tension, you mention, "You missed dinner."

Bucky sighed, "I know, 'M sorry. Didn't think I could stomach anything, darlin'."

"Where'd you go?"

"Just - a walk 'round the property. It's got enough acreage to lose yourself."

You just nodded. "Ready t'talk yet, Buck?"

His head shook, just staring towards where the banks of the private pond began. You reached out to thread your arms around his, head laying to his bicep; content to just sit together and let him organize his thoughts as you counted fire flies. Finally, after several long minutes, Bucky admitted, "They don't need me anymore."

Your head lifted, "What? Who?"

"The girls."

"The fuck are you talking about? They adore you, Bucky, and they'll always need their daddy - "

"They don't need me," he repeated, shaking his head as his voice trembled and broke. "I thought I had at least until puberty before that happened, but..."

"Buck - "

"She got hurt, Y/N. Juniper, she got hurt and I was right there, but she didn't want me. Ran right past me for you, she wanted mommy, not daddy. It was like I wasn't a thought, just someone there between her and her mother."

"Bucky, Junie got hurt and just reacted."

"Exactly - she wanted you. Not me."

"That's just - she equates getting hurt to mommies, it's not personal against you."

"Sweetheart, I know you're trying," his voice was quiet as it warbled, "and I appreciate it so much but our girls only know you as a parent. Even Daisy - both girls, they wanted you. All day, I noticed it. I tell them to do something, it's ignored or treated as optional. But you say it and - and they immediately respond."

"They're just more used to me, it doesn't mean they don't think of you as their daddy."

"I think it means, they don't necessarily understand that we're both their parents. They just know Mommy, not Daddy, as a parental figure of authority." He pulled his arm back, voice thick with emotion.

"That's not true! They adore you - are obsessed with you, even. Bucky, they miss you all the time! How can you possibly think, for one second, you're not their parent? Or they don't know you?"

"Because they don't need me. They don't see me as a parent, I'm just the spare that comes in and out. They get hurt, they call out for Mommy. They argue, it's Mommy they go to. If they need anything, it's you, and that's not a bad thing, doll - but it's like they don't know they have a father, too. It just kinda... Hurts, I guess. Confuses me. Makes me feel fucking inadequate."

"Is that... Is that why you wanted to come up here?"

"Kinda. I've felt it for a while, but got caught up in work to do anything about it. I realized... I'm the only one lost."

"What? Bucky, no - "

"You and the girls," he smiled ruefully, "have a routine. You know each other. There's camaraderie; something familiar, known, strong and unyielding. It's beautiful as a stranger on a different path, watching the three of you from afar."

"Bucky," you wrapped your hands to curl around his flesh arm, all but yanking him into you, "you have to stop talking like that. It's not true and I don't know how else to assure you. Your daughters love you - they love you so much and need their daddy, they just might need an adjustment period for those times you get real, uh, real busy. They're used to it being just me - and that's okay - so give them time to get used to you being back around."

"Don't say it like that."

"Like what?"

"Like, I'm some absentee father! A fucking deadbeat! Like I'm my father who values work and prioritizes that over family!"

"James Buchanan Barnes!" You snarled, ripping away from him and shocking him enough to look down at you in question - and perhaps mild offense. "That's enough! You know that is not what I was saying, what I was insinuating! What I meant! Don't piss me off or twist my words, nobody said that, nobody even thinks that. You are not your father, a man who forgot birthdays and missed holidays - you're better than he ever was."

"Doll - "

"No, shut up and listen. I know you're busy, I know what your job is - that's not the issue - and I am so sorry you're hurting over this, I can't imagine what you're feeling. But, baby, hey, look, it's just an unorthodox road we're all trying to navigate, right? You were adamant the girls shouldn't know the truth of your job, and I agreed - well, we gotta cut some slack because they're doing their best to adjust while not even really knowing what's going on. They don't mean to hurt you, they're just reacting as they know how to. This is all very new for all of us... We're trying, Bucky, we all are."

By the end, your anger had fizzled out with understanding, twinging with something bordering on sad. Knowing he was hurting made your heart weep and sting, stomach knotting as you weren't sure what to do. The entire relationship, you and Bucky had depended on each other to help navigate certain situations and remedy problems. Your kids were prone to injury and accident - just that age - so you were now a pseudo nurse; and when they had conflict in their social life, you were always quick with some life lesson veiled as a solution. But this? Bucky feeling rejected by his own kids? You didn't know what to do, how to help or fix this.

"I know, peach," he assured, stretching his arm around your shoulders then sink around your waist. "Think I'm projecting a bit, thinking I'm a deadbeat. I know I-I'm not, but I know I work a lot and I'm not around and I did this. I pushed myself away and had different priorities, just like - "

"No, hey, you have a very niche job, sweetheart."

"So did he. I could've bargained my time better."

"You could do that moving forward," you realized, scooting closer to his side so you were practically glued. "Yeah, yeah, hey, spend the summer reconnecting with them. We'll explain you have a very unconventional job and sometimes, you just get really, really busy - but you'll always come back. Then, in the fall, when they start school again and you go back full time, you can find a new balance. We'll have new rules, like, being home for dinner or you handle the morning routines or whatever works."

"We tried all that when Junie was little, but, yeah, guess we can try."

"Watch it, she's still little."

He snorted, "Not for much longer, huh? God, she's getting so big, so fast."

"She's always gonna need you, no matter how big she gets - they both are."

"Until they don't."

"Well, you know... Even when they start finding some independence, I'll be here, needing you, too."

Bucky arm tightened. "Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah, you know I'm the biggest Daddy's Girl," you smiled, leaning in to rest your head on his shoulder; sharing a small snicker. "It's you and me, always. Through all of this."

"Thank God," he breathed against your forehead, leaving a sweet kiss.

"For what it's worth, I don't think you have anything to worry about. It's only day one, you only just came back, baby, it's okay. How about this week, we send Tony and Pep and Morgs out, I'll run some errands, and you and the girls can be alone. If I'm not there, nobody can default to me, so it's all up to you guys?"

Bucky sighed, "Worth a try."

"Sink or swim, baby. Now, can we go inside? The mosquitos are insane up here."

"Yeah, c'mon, sugar," he grunted, easily lifting himself before leaning down to scoop you bridal style in his arms.

Tony and Pepper agreed to spend the day out with Morgan, citing their need to get things from the Lake House. They were up early and on the road by the time you got up, nuzzling into Bucky's neck that made him moan and turn over to squeeze you in a tight embrace.

However, the sounds of little footsteps assured time in bed was nearing it's natural end. Juniper and Daisy rushed into the room, making you and Bucky groan comically as they stampeded onto the bed. They all too happily got between you and Buck, snuggling in tight and requesting "pamscakes".

"Oh, my goodness," you chuckled, "you know, if you tell Daddy whatcha want, he'll get you anything you want! I promise!"

Bucky grinned as Junie gasped and all but slapped her hands to his chest, "Daddy? Could we have pamscakes?"

"Are you sure that's okay, baby?" He asked, feigning genuine concern.

"Yeah," she nodded, looking confused.

"But my name isn't Pam?"

Junie dissolved into a fit of giggles, falling head-first into her father's chest. "You're so silly, Daddy," she accused, Daisy snuggling deep under your chin. It was torture, separating from the cuddle puddle, but eventually, you deposited Daisy onto Bucky's chest and got up to take a shower, beginning your day. After drying off and dressing, you stepped into houseshoes, fixed your hair and any make-up you wanted, then ventured back to the bedroom.

Bucky was still in bed with the girls, but they were sat up on either side of him, gabbing about their incredible dreams and why it was good luck to have "pamscakes" after such dreams. You smiled at the sight and approached the side of the bed to muse, "Hey, fruit with breakfast, please."

Bucky teased, "Yes, Mommy."

"Okay, well, I'm off, gotta run some errands today." Your hand fell to his to give a silent, supportive squeeze. "Girls, be good for Daddy, okay?" Your free hand directed Junie's head back so you could kiss her forehead. "I love you."

"Love you, too, Mommy."

"Hey, 'mere," you leaned over Bucky to pucker your lips at Daisy; who happily clambered onto Buck's abdomen to give a peck. "Love you, bug." She repeated the sentiment as your sights turned on Bucky; grinning as you hovered. "And I love you, too, Daddy."

He hummed as you left a lingering kiss on his lips. He growled when you pulled back, "Keep playin', I'll make us a family of five real soon."

"Get through today and we'll talk," you teased just as quietly, pecking his lips once more.

Once you were straightened, Bucky asked, "Sure you don't wanna join us back in bed, Mama? Can head out when we all get up."

"Yeah, Mommy!"

"No, no," you grinned, telling him, "you've got enough."

He hummed. "All I need is my favorite girl," he tried again, hands squeezing where they still held tight.

"You can't say that."

"I can when I have two daughters."

You snickered and lifted his hand, giving a kiss before laying it around your eldest. "Soak in these moments, Daddy," you encouraged softly, "they don't last forever." He offered a soft look as you pulled away finally to start heading out of the room. You called over your shoulder, "Okay, my little loves, any special requests for when I come back?"

"A unicorn!"

"A puppy!"

"And a trampoline!"

"Mommy, I need crayons!"

"And a race car!"

"Can we have noodles?"

With one last look at the cozy setting, you tore yourself away from getting sucked into the mundane homeyness of it all and forced yourself to change into appropriate shoes, grab your purse and keys, then set off for a day's worth of errands.

Since becoming a family of four as two full-time-working parents, life had felt overrun and chaotic - but it's not like that was a far cry from how it usually was. No, this was a much more familiar chaos; having an almost-kindergartener and preschooler at the same time was exciting, sure, but also exhausting and straight chaotic. The balance was fragile, time fleeting, but you developed little patterns, helpful gimmicks, and scheduled your days basically to the hour. Life was a perpetual jigsaw puzzle where the piece-count gets higher and the images more widespread and complicated.

But today was different.

Today, you were (temporarily) 'relieved' of being a parent in favor of just being an adult with normal errands to run alone. There was a strange sense of guilt, knowing you and the girls had your routines and Bucky was struggling to feel like he connected with the family. So, you tried the sink or swim method and left him alone for the whole day.

First, you picked up the dry cleaning because the shop kept odd banker hours - which reminded you to run to the bank. And if you went to the bank, you might as well hop down the block to the pharmacy and then down the strip for the post office. There was a local hardware store just a few streets away, so you grabbed the contents on the list shared from Tony's Notes app; and naturally, tried to just skim through the attached plant nursery but still ended up with your backseat full of new greenery. You were down the way from a liquor store, so you paused to restock for the house, and grabbed a bottle for your sister's upcoming cookout. At some point, you might've rolled through Starbucks. After, you went through a premium carwash, raided the sale section at a craft store, moseyed around Target, and because you deserved it, stopped at a nail salon as a walk-in. Your feet were rubbed and scrubbed, toes painted a new color as your fingernails were filed, shaped, and painted to match before being massaged and moisturized with palm and cuticle oils. The day was capped off with a run to the grocery store to grab all on your list - and then some. Before starting your return home, you filled the gas tank.

All without kids.

All without switching carseats or lugging a stroller around. All without an extra diaper bag strapped across your chest and your eldest's backpack hanging from your shoulders. All without the screaming, the crying, the complaining - but also, without the innocent little comments and wholesome moments, the infectious giggles and curious questions.

Naturally, as you spent the most time with your kids, you jumped at the chance to run errands 100% alone. It was a nice change of pace. It was rare. It was revered and savored. You could move freely and continuously forward, never needing to worry about anyone other than yourself. You could look at whatever you wanted when you wanted for as long as you wanted. You could listen to your playlists, and even indulge in a private sweet treat! Running errands alone was underrated.

Plus it gave Bucky his long-overdue alone time with his daughters. He remembered growing up with his parents and sister, a family of four; regaled memories of utter chaos and turmoil. Bucky suspected there would be a perpetual "adjustment period", but it needed to start somewhere.

So, you gave him that. Pure, 100% uninfluenced, uninterrupted time to spend with his girls.

While a workaholic, don't get it twisted, Bucky Barnes has changed his fair share of diapers; did every single night feeding; basically clocks out being the boss at work to being the #1 Daddy at home so you could rest. He runs errands when he can, he cooks when able, gets thrown up on, gives bubble baths, and "lays" in a child's size bed to read his daughters a bedtime story by light of a butterfly lamp.

With Bucky being incredibly busy the several months, you were left parenting two kids alone. So, he wasn't all too familiar with their patterns, routines, or the full spectrum of their needs, demands, and the attention, focus, energy required. He had a more glorified view point because his job meant he'd ghost in and out of the house, leaving you to shoulder the brunt of the childcare.

The day had been successfully spent getting done what needed done - with a little, light pampering. So, you grabbed your family's usual favorites from the local take out place before heading home finally. While you adored your highrise penthouse in the city, there was something homey and snug about the upstate house built on a lush, shamrock green lawn. You turned off the main road, down the lane, eventually turning onto the access road; then into the driveway and into the covered garage your car-mounted remote opened.

You took the groceries in first, entering the house through the garage and directly into the kitchen. "Hello?" You called curiously, not hearing anything. You weren't alarmed, the house looked lived-in, assuring there were signs of life; so you finished unloading the car.

In the kitchen, you were storing everything when Pepper texted, saying they were on their way back. You informed her about the take-out and she thanked you, leaving your phone on the charger in the kitchen to begin your search for your family. Then, you came upon your bedroom...

Thinning leather gently creaked.

You froze, balanced atop the decorative antique traveler's trunk used for bedding storage lining the bottom of the bed you were craning over. Daringly, you checked to make sure the occupants were still asleep and teetered - gritting teeth while flailing your arms in windmill motions to comically maintain balance. When recovered, you winced and stared at the three bodies beneath you and breathed a silent sigh of relief when they did not stir. Adjusting yourself, you angled the camera over them again and managed to get only three decent snaps before wobbling again.

Bucky was laid flat on his back, flesh arm behind his head while his prosthetic hand was protectively laid around Daisy - who rested on his belly. Junie was a little further down, gripping his thigh in a snuggle - drooling lightly into dark grey material. It was a picture-perfect moment you had to take advantage of.

Safe on the ground, you moved for your charger on the bedside table and froze when Bucky's voice crooned, "Wanna join us, Mama?"

After initial shock passed, you grinned, "Oh, absolutely, Daddy. You guys are practically right where I left you, huh?"

"C'mere," he encouraged, opening his arm for you into his side; careful to lay around Junie. "Hi, sugar," he whispered, hearing you almost desperately mewl before kissing him like a starving woman. He chuckled, keeping you as close as possible.

"How was it?" You were both mindful of your volumes.

"Chaotic," he lamented, "but in the best fucking way."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. These little troublemakers? They're really ours, huh?"

"They are - isn't that something?"

"Nice way of puttin' it. How was your day, baby?"

"Productive, I got everything done and then some. So, how're you feeling - you know, now?"

Bucky pondered a moment, then admitted, "Think we've all come to a sort of understanding."

"Well, that's good."

He nodded, but then winced, "Well... There might be one last thing, though. To complete everything."

You smirked, "Trying for a third?"

"Took the words right outta my mouth, Mama," he breathed, mouth vacuuming to yours in a soul-sucking kiss that made every pore prickle with heated anticipation.

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