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extremelyblackandwhite · 10 months

Text

pairing: dad!bucky barnes x au pair!reader

warnings: age gap (reader is 10 years younger than bucky), smut (18+, dni if under 18)

summary: sometimes the past haunts us

masterlist

- I just don’t agree with it.

Those words were the ones she feared the most. After sweating and crying over a draft of her thesis, one of her supervisors just threw the papers on the desk with as much disdain as someone could muster, without as much of an ounce of mercy. She stared at the papers on the desk, attempting to hide her watering eyes. She shouldn’t be crying, she had been expecting criticism but not an overall dismissal of 4 years of work.

- I’m gonna be honest, Y/N. After 4 years, I didn’t expect to read this sort of work from you. I don’t think we can actually pass this, Y/N. How would you defend this?

- I ... I can rewrite it.

- I honestly do not see it getting any better with a rewrite, Y/N. I’m still waiting on feedback from your other supervisor but I wouldn’t be too hopeful.

She didn’t know what to say, there were really no words or anything she could say right now that wouldn’t downright embarrass her. Her eyes were fully watered as she looked around the countless awards in her supervisor’s office. She used to think she’d once own as many, now she wasn’t as sure.

- We may have to keep you another year.

- But I’m not sure I have enough to cover costs for another yea ... - she stopped mid sentence as her phone started to buzz against her thigh. Looking down at the screen, she saw the all caps name of Sadie’s daycare. - I’m sorry, that’s my baby’s daycare.

She gave her supervisor a loop smile, bringing her phone to her ear only to hear a bunch of nonsense coming from the other side which could only roughly translate into how much they needed her to come down. Perfect, just perfect.

- I’m sorry, I need to go check on my baby.

- You know, Y/N, it may be time for you to check what your priorities are.

- I’m sorry, I’d ask her dad but he’s stuck in back to back meetings. I’m so sorry, I can’t leave her.

- We’ll schedule a meeting once your other supervisor is back.

- Thank you.

She rushed out of the campus and onto her car, drying her eyes with the sleeve of her jumper before driving down to Sadie’s school. Last thing she needed was parents commenting on her red eyes and blotchy skin, it was hard enough knowing her supervisor had seen her like this. Yet again, she wasn’t even sure that was the last thing she wanted as she walked into the dean’s office and found Sadie sitting in one of the kiddie chairs with a band aid on her knee and a crying face. Y/N didn’t know what was more disturbing, if her baby girl crying or Michelle sitting down with her snooty son.

- Oh, Y/N, it’s you. - she looked her up and down.

- Come on, darling. - Y/N ignored Michelle, leaning down to Sadie’s level. The little girl wrapped her arms around her, burying her head in Y/N’s hair. - Who else would it be, Michelle?

- I’m so sorry to call you in. It seems my boy got in a tussle with Sadie.

- Sure, a tussle. My kid has a bandaid on her knee and yours looks just peachy to me.

- She’s not your kid, Y/N. She’s Bucky’s or have you forgotten?

- Sure. - she rolled her eyes. - So what is it that you want Michelle? You want us to sort this out or you wanna flirt with my kid’s dad?

- Just wanted to make sure Sadie was okay.

- She’ll be fine.

Y/N really had better things to do other than deal with Michelle and her eagerness to see Bucky. Right now she was worried about Sadie who was following right after her, arms wrapped around her leg as she enjoyed the swing back and forward. Y/N always knew Michelle’s kid was no good and she wouldn’t be surprised if his mother even trained him to hurt Sadie so she could see James - although, that was the most irrational part of her speaking.

- Come here, squid. - Y/N leaned down to pick the 2 year old so she could place her safely in her car seat. - Did the nurse look at your knee?

- Yes. I gots the red band thingie, see. - she pointed at her knee.

- It’s a band-aid, Sissi. - Y/N clasped the buckles. - You’re being very brave.

- Can I watch Bluey?

- Alright but we can’t tell dad I let you use the tablet on the car, yeah? It’ll be our secret.

- Pinky? - she showed her au pair her pinky which just seemed to brighten her whole day. She nodded, wrapping her own pinky around hers before grabbing the IPad.

Truth was, she was glad her irritation at Michelle had made her forget of the terrible time she’d had at university. Sure, she was probably gonna raise some hell at the next PTA meeting, however, right now what Sadie needed was time and some happy things. As such, she turned left where she should’ve taken right, coming across the small park. Soon enough, the IPad playing Bluey was forgotten in the car as Sadie joined other kids in the playground, while Y/N took it upon herself to join the other mums on the benches watching over their own kids. It was peaceful, the sound of the kids laughter meshed with the sounds of the wind brushing through the trees and the birds chirping. It was nice, at least it was until her phone started ringing. It came as no surprise it was Bucky, Michelle had probably personally called him to somehow explain how her snooty kid hurt his daughter.

- Hello. - she said as she picked up the phone.

- Is Sadie alright? I got a call from her kindergarten saying some kid pushed her.

- She’s fine, Bucky. Scratch on her knee but she seems to have forgotten it’s even there.

- Are you sure? I can get out of work and we can drive her to the hospital and have it checked.

- Buck, it’s a scrapped knee. I’m sorry to tell you but she’ll have plenty of those as she grows up. - she smiled. - Don’t you have a meeting to go to?

- But ...

- Bucky, she’s fine. I think she may be trying to push a boy off a swing but other than that she’s a peach. - she got off from the bench to go and stand next to Sadie who was trying to get a turn at the swings. - Sadie do you wanna say hi to daddy?

- Hi daddy. - she took the phone from Y/N. - Bye daddy.

- That hurt. - Bucky said as Y/N got a hold of her phone before Sadie could run off with it. - We’re already at hi and bye? Soon enough it’ll go from daddy to dad.

- Go to your meeting, Sergeant. We’ll see you at home tonight.

- Are those orders?

- Strong suggestions.

- I’ll see you both tonight.

Bucky put his phone in his pocket, his brain still racketing about his daughter’s wellbeing while at the same time worrying about the back to back meetings that had left him with only 20 minutes to have lunch. 20 minutes which were interrupted by a call from his secretary saying someone needed to see him. He had barely even had time to take a bite from the cheap cafeteria sandwich and was now on his way to his office once more. The end to this day couldn’t come faster.

- Whoever’s waiting, send them in. - he said as he passed his secretary.

- Sergeant Barnes, she’s already in the office.

- What? - he turned around to face his secretary who usually was able to keep anyone and everyone at bay if necessary. - How did ...

- I have my ways. - the door opened from inside. - Besides, we are close.

- Anna?

(...)

There was no way in hell she could ever re-write this. If she was being honest she couldn’t see a major structural or even content flaw in her work. Besides, none of the feedback she received was constructive, it didn’t help her figure out what to do to make it better. Although, her supervisor was quite clear there was no way of making it better. Perhaps her other supervisor would have a better idea or maybe some constructive feedback.

- What are you working on, squid? - she looked to Sadie who looked just as serious about her drawing as Y/N was about her thesis.

Sadie ignored her, her tongue poking out of her mouth as she continued to make a mess of her crayons. Y/N sighed, smiling and ruffling the little girl’s hair as she got up from the kitchen table to grab them something to drink. Bucky had just pulled up on the garage so he’d soon be here for dinner so there was no use in preparing Sadie a snack. If she did, she just knew the toddler would use it as an excuse to have no dinner and munch on string cheese later on.

- DADDY! - she heard Sadie yell out. Good, it was finally time to eat.

- Let me look at your knee. - Bucky looked down at his daughter’s knee. - Are you okay? Does anything hurt?

- No. Y/N gave me another thingie.

- Band-aid, Sadie. - Y/N walked to the dinning table were Sadie was showing Bucky her band-aid. - Can you give me a hand bringing the cutlery and dinner to the table? I need to go to bed early today, Buck.

- Yeah, sure. You go and wash you hands, Sadie.

Sadie climbed down her chair and rushed to the bathroom while Bucky followed Y/N to the kitchen. He was in a surprisingly good mood considering he’d spent the whole day in meetings. Last time that happened, he didn’t even have dinner with them and instead went straight to his study, so this was a refreshing change of pace albeit a suspicious one.

- You’re happy. - she said as she took the cutlery from the cupboard. - Did you have a drink on your way in?

- I actually have good news.

- You had two drinks on your way in?

- I met with Sadie’s mum today. She wants to meet her, we set up a meeting tomorrow.

Oh. That’s why.

She couldn’t explain her, but her heart felt unexplainably tight.

- Oh ...

- Don’t worry, I’ll get her from school, I know that you’re gonna be at Columbia tomorrow.

- I’m not worried about that. - she sighed. Part of her was screaming not to give her opinion but she and Bucky were friends ... or at least they were friendly, and it looked as if he was waiting for her to say something. - Don’t you think it’s a bit soon?

- Soon? She gave birth to Sadie 2 years ago, I’d say a reunion is long overdo.

- I just think you should take it slow. She doesn’t have the best track record and if she leaves again, it might hurt Sadie.

- She’s ready, Y/N. - his tone shifted, turning avoidant.

- How do you know? She hasn’t tried to make contact in two years and what if she flakes at the last minute? How would we explain it to Sadie?

- We? - he crossed his arms. - Last I checked she is my daughter and you’re the person I pay to watch over her. I explain things to her and I make the decisions.

- Sadie took some time getting used to me, Buck.

- You’re not her mother!

- You don’t need to speak to me like that. - she set the cutlery and plates down on the kitchen counter. - I worry about Sadie and I worry that you’re rushing into this because of your obsession with giving Sadie a mother.

- You should worry about keeping your job if you continue talking.

Y/N’s mouth shut as she starred at him, eyebrows furrowed as if she couldn’t believe what had come out of his mouth. They hadn’t had the best track record together, at least from the beginning where they were constantly clashing against each other, yet he had never threatened her job. She always felt confident enough to give her opinion where it seemed relevant.

- I am not hungry. Suit yourself.

Bucky was left with the tray of lasagna and the dishes to put on the table. At least that. He wasn’t even sure if he would be able to find the dishes if he had too. Besides, she was overreacting. From his point, she had no right to talk about what was right and wrong when it came to Sadie’s mother. She needed a mother and if he could finally give her that he would. If he could give her a sense of normalcy, something that resembled the picket white fence, mum, dad, kid and the pet, he would. He’d do everything for her.

- Washed hands. - Sadie rushed into the kitchen, showing her dad her clean hands.

- That’s great, baby. Here take your plate to the table and I’ll bring the food.

- Don’t like lasagna. - she crossed her arms not to differently to how he had just done.

- What? You love when Y/N makes lasagna.

- Because of the song?

- What song?

- The lasagna song.

- Well ... - he kneeled to her height. - If you don’t eat your lasagna then I won’t give you the surprise.

- Surprise?

- Tomorrow ... - he tucked her hair behind her ear. - Tomorrow, I’ll pick you up from school and we’ll go to that coffee shop with the bunny cakes to meet your mum.

- I know my mummy, daddy. You’re being silly.

- She’s really excited to meet you. She even said she may bring some photos of when you were in her belly so she can see.

- I have a mummy already.

- Sadie, I know you really like Y/N but she is not your mum.

#sebastian stan #sebastian stan/reader #sebastian stan x reader #sebastian stan imagine #sebastian stan fanfic #bucky #bucky barnes #bucky/reader #bucky x reader #bucky/y/n #bucky x y/n #bucky x you #bucky/you #bucky imagine #bucky fanfic #single dad!bucky

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mackenzielovee · 1 year

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gray area (1) — bucky barnes

summary — you meet your new neighbor, Bucky, along with his friends and his son.

wc — 4k

series masterlist | navigation

You stand in the middle of your new driveway, staring up at the townhome that you now hold the keys to. You’d signed your name on the dotted line last week, and although it feels like forever since then, a part of you can’t believe it’s actually happening.

“Still not sure why you’re so against moving in with me,” Natasha, your best friend, grumbles as she grabs another box out of the truck of your car, “I mean, yeah, there’s a few bad things about my apartment complex, but—”

“Your next door neighbor shot his girlfriend last week,” you argue, then add, “And, half of the people that live there are selling drugs!”

“Okay,” Natasha rolls her eyes, “One, that girl was a bitch. She also survived, so it’s fine. And, honestly, Y/N, everyone is selling drugs these days.”

“I’m not,” you reply, sticking your tongue out at her.

“Right. You’re too much of a workaholic to be selling — or doing — drugs, anyway. I’m surprised they haven’t paged you—”

“Oh!” you exclaim, “I actually should go check my work phone. Can you get the rest of the boxes out?”

Being a nurse in the critical care unit of one of the best hospitals in your state, you have no choice but to be constantly thinking about your job. Natasha, who runs her own company, understands your need to be available 24/7, although she rarely expresses it. She thinks you hold yourself too accountable, but you disagree.

Being responsible is the reason you’re able to afford to live on your own at twenty four. Being responsible has landed you a great job, salary, and benefits. Sure, you’ve had to sacrifice to get it, and Natasha thinks you’re lonely, but you’re happy for the most part.

You check your phone and find nothing, then breathe in a happy breath. That means you’ll get to spend the remainder of the day unpacking and moving in. The boxes are lining the walls and starting to feel overwhelming; the clutter too much for you to handle.

Natasha comes strolling in a few minutes later, holding nothing but a lamp in her hand. You raise a brow, and she smirks.

“Seriously? That’s all you could carry?” you tease.

She shrugs, “I found some reinforcements.”

Before you can ask what she means, two men come strolling into your living room, both with boxes in their arms. Your jaw falls as Natasha laughs beside you, shamelessly checking them out as their muscles flex against their tight tee shirts.

“Where do you want ‘em, Natasha?”

Natasha whips her head over to you, “Babe?”

You swallow when both men look over to you. Up and down their eyes go, taking in your sundress and curled hair before respectfully looking back up at you. They smirk when you stutter under their gazes, then point to the free corner of the living room.

“Um, over here is fine,” you say, “Thank you so much, I didn’t—”

“It’s okay, Y/N,” Natasha interrupts, tugging on your elbow, “I already told them how we needed two big, strong guys to help us.”

The blonde sets his boxes down first, then steps forward and extends a hand. You give him a friendly, shy smile and shake it, ignoring the way his large hand engulfs yours.

“I’m Steve,” he says, “One of the big, strong guys your friend recruited.”

Your smile widens, “Hi, Steve. Thank you very much for being willing to help.”

“No problem, I—”

The other man shoves Steve’s shoulder, then grins at you and extends a hand of his own.

“Sam Wilson,” he informs you, squeezing your hand, “It’s such a pleasure. We’ve been wondering who was gonna take this place.”

“Now we know,” Steve cuts in, “So, what’s your—”

Your phone buzzes on the counter, and before you even realize what you’re doing, you turn and rush to it.

“Ouch,” Sam whispers, nudging Steve’s chest before turning to Natasha, “Boyfriend?”

“Worse,” Natasha rolls her eyes, “Job.”

“That’s why I retired years ago,” Sam grins, “Right, Cap?”

Steve’s eyes haven’t left you yet; watching as you slump your shoulders when you realize the alert is just a routine message from the hospital.

“Let’s go get the rest of the boxes,” Steve grunts, grabbing Sam by the shirt collar.

Natasha follows the men outside, and after a minute, you do, too. Steve is in the middle of pulling another box from the trunk when you appear outside, dress swaying in the slight breeze. Sam elbows Steve in the chest when he catches him looking, and the men exchange a silent glare before getting back to work.

“You guys really don’t have to do this,” you gush, placing a gentle hand on Steve’s bicep to stop him, “It’s okay, we can handle it. It’s only a few more, right, Nat?”

Natasha smirks, then shrugs innocently, “I don’t see the harm in letting them help, Y/N. You can always thank them properly later.”

Steve blushes at Natasha’s comment, but doesn’t play into the innuendo in the slightest. Instead, he turns toward you and gives you a gentle smile.

“We really don’t mind,” he says.

“Yeah, and he speaks for both of us, now,” Sam grunts.

You laugh and drop your hand from Steve’s arm as if to give him silent permission to continue. Just as his hands reach around the next box, all of you hear the loud, screeching voice of a toddler.

“Jamie incoming!”

Sam turns with just enough time to catch the four year-old launching himself into his arms, grinning from ear to ear at the promise of a hug from his uncle.

“What’s goin’ on, Jay-Man?” Sam asks, gripping the boy tight.

“Nothin’,” he smiles.

“I don’t believe you for a second,” Sam laughs, “Where’s your—”

“Jamie, you’ve gotta put shoes on before you run outside. You know better.”

You swallow at the sight of the man stepping off the porch of the house next door and into the grass, where he eyes the toddler resting in Sam’s arms. He’s wearing gray sweatpants and a tee shirt, sports messy brown hair, and has stubble that you’d bet is only there because he hasn’t gotten around to shaving.

“Relax, Buck, he’s a kid,” Sam replies, “Tell him, Jay.”

“I’m a kid,” Jamie repeats, grinning widely.

The man, the one who left the house following the boy, lets his eyes travel from his friends to you. He gives you a gentle smile and you do the same back to him, feeling your stomach twist and turn the longer his eyes remain on you.

“Aww!” Natasha squeals, stepping over to Sam and Jamie, “How old is he?”

“He’s four,” Sam states proudly, “You think he’s cute? He’s got my eyes, doesn’t he?”

You continue to stare, knowing you should stop but completely unable to. When his eyes — those devastatingly blue eyes — leave yours to travel down your body, you swallow. You hope he likes what he sees, but you don’t question where that thought comes from. The male gaze has never been one you’ve longed for, but right now, you can’t remember why.

His jaw ticks as he breaks into a smile, raising a hand and conducting a small, shy wave. You bite down on your bottom lip to conceal your own grin, waving back.

“So, he’s your son?” Natasha’s voice draws you back into reality.

Sam shrugs, “I mean, I take care of the rugrat, you know what I mean?”

Natasha nods, her eyes moving toward Steve when he scoffs, “Jamie is not Sam’s kid.”

As if to prove it, Jamie starts to squirm in Sam’s grasp, then makes grabby hands as he reaches for Bucky.

“Daddy,” he frowns, “Is it snack time?”

Bucky nods and steps forward, reaching out to collect Jamie from Sam, who sighs, now that his cover has been blown.

“C’mere, buddy,” Bucky says as he takes hold of his son, who immediately cuddles himself into his dad, “We can have a snack if you’re hungry.”

Your heart rate seems to speed up at the image of a father caring for his son so outright — something you never experienced so openly. Shyly, his eyes find yours as he adjusts his son in his hold, giving you a more forced, pained smile. You try to smile back in hopes of telling him that you find Jamie to be cute; that you’re happy to have them next door.

“C’mon, Sarge, you gotta meet the new neighbor, first,” Sam lectures, pointing over to you, “This is Y/N, even though she never actually introduced herself to us. Y/N, this is Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes, and his son, Jamie.”

“It’s just Bucky,” he immediately corrects, giving you another small smile as he offers his free hand out to you, “Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you, too,” you reply, holding his gaze for a beat too long before your eyes catch on the little boy in his arms, “And it’s very nice to meet you, Jamie.”

He grows shy in his father’s arms and hides in his chest, earning a laugh from both you and Bucky.

“Sorry,” Bucky says quietly, “He’ll open up eventually.”

You shake your head, “No need to apologize. He’s very cute.”

As if the compliment was meant for him, Bucky’s cheeks grow pink. To try and conceal it, he looks down at Jamie and tries to get him to talk, but the boy refuses.

You try to think of something to say; a way to start up a conversation with Bucky, but Steve steps behind you — close enough that you can feel his body heat through your dress — and clears his throat.

“Want me to take the kid for a snack, Sarge?” Steve questions, noting Bucky’s blushing cheeks.

“Can we play superheroes, too?” Jamie asks his uncle, perking up.

“Of course, dude. We can fly on the trampoline and everything.”

Jamie grins and immediately reaches for his uncle, changing grips yet again. Steve laughs and grabs hold of the toddler, then looks down at you.

“Good to meet you, Y/N,” he says politely, then steps away and pats Bucky on the back, “You got this.”

Bucky’s face burns under the not-so-quiet encouragement from his best friend. Sam and Natasha grab more boxes from the car while simultaneously shamelessly flirting, which leaves you and Bucky outside in the cool air, alone.

“Sorry about them,” Bucky says quickly, “They make quite the first impression.”

You nod in agreement, “They do. Do all of you live over there?”

Bucky’s eyes widen and he shakes his head quickly, so quickly that you try not to laugh.

“God, no. The guys just come over to help me take care of Jamie. It’s, uh, just me over there. And Jamie, obviously.”

You laugh at the way he shakes his head, trying to collect his thoughts and stop himself from rambling. When he sees you laughing, he relaxes and even offers a chuckle at himself.

“Anyway,” he changes the subject, “What brings you to the neighborhood?”

“New job,” you answer proudly, “I’m a nurse at West County General.”

He cocks up a brow, “No kidding. Bet that keeps you busy.”

“It sure does,” you agree, “But, it’s really rewarding. I love it.”

He smiles as you smile, and when you see the tips of his ears grow pink, your grin widens. Sam and Natasha emerge from the house then, and they seem to burst whatever bubble you and Bucky have formed for yourself.

“I should check on Jamie,” he mumbles, already taking a step back, “It was nice to meet you, Y/N. Welcome to the neighborhood.”

You grin, giving him a shy wave, “Thank you, Bucky.”

He returns your smile and wave, letting it linger between the two of you for a second too long before he turns and hurries back inside his house.

When you turn around, Sam and Natasha are leaning up against your car, standing a little too close and looking a little too friendly. Clearing your throat loudly, you earn your best friend's gaze.

“We should be getting ready, huh?” you ask her, giving her a subtle eyebrow raise.

She sighs, “Yes. Thanks for the help, Sam. Hope we see each other again soon.”

He winks at her, then gives you a warm smile and a nod before taking a few steps back, inching toward Bucky’s house.

“Nice to meet you, ladies,” he calls, offering a wave before he turns his back and heads away.

“God, he’s so hot,” Natasha groans, “Like, did you see those muscles?”

You chuckle and grab her, pulling her toward your new home, “Come on. Wanda’s gonna be pissed if we’re late.”

“Oh, who cares,” Natasha mumbles, but follows your lead, anyway.

The bar that Wanda planned for the three of you to go to is loud and crowded by the time you and Natasha arrive. To celebrate your new move and career, Wanda demanded a night out with you. Naturally, Natasha caught wind of the plans and invited herself — which was fine with you, because you always feel safer having her around while you’re drinking. Wanda, on the other hand, wasn’t wild about the inclusion of your best friend. They put up with each other, but they aren’t fans. And to you, it’s obvious.

“Y/N!” Wanda squeals, “What do you think of this place? I thought it was cool, kinda has a retro vibe to it.”

“So retro,” Natasha quips, offering Wanda a smug smile.

You nudge Natasha in the side and look around, taking the place in. It reminds you of Wanda in a way that you’d expect her to like it, but you don’t necessarily care one way or another. A new area means new bars, new restaurants, and you know you have to figure out what you like and what you don’t.

“It’s nice,” you smile, “Thank you so much for setting this up.”

“Of course,” she beams, “Let me get us a round. They have a killer lime mojito.”

“Oh, bummer,” Natasha pouts, “I’m actually on this new no-lime diet. Mind getting me a vodka soda?”

Wanda takes a calculated breath, “Sure. Be right back.”

You snort as soon as Wanda disappears and turn around to Natasha, who is smirking proudly at herself. When she catches your raised eyebrows, she feigns innocence and shrugs her shoulders.

“What?” she teases, “It’s a real diet.”

“Mhm,” you hum, “Sure it is.”

“It is!” she laughs, then nudges you over to the two available barstools. You set your purse down on the bar and Natasha sits while you remain standing, not wanting Wanda to feel left out, “It’s new. I’m on a no-lime, all-new neighbor Sam diet.”

You let out a loud laugh, “Oh, right. He doesn’t even live over there, you know.”

“He doesn’t?”

“No,” you shake your head, “Bucky told me—”

“Bucky told you?” she gasps, grabbing your arms, “Oh, tell me exactly what Bucky told you.”

You huff, “Stop teasing me.”

“I’m not!” she protests, “I just want to know what your sexy new neighbor told you.”

“Stop.”

“Stop, what?”

You both turn and find Wanda standing there with three drinks in her hands, looking like she could use some help. Immediately, you grab one of them and set it down on the bar, then trade Natasha her drink for yours.

“Oh, Y/N’s got this really hot neighbor,” Natasha fills her in, sipping her drink, “Total DILF.”

“Nat,” you hiss, then turn to Wanda, “He’s just a nice guy. He’s got a four year old son.”

“Look at you, remembering details,” Wanda teases, and suddenly, she and Natasha are laughing together — like they’re actually friends.

“Oh, please,” you huff, downing half of your drink and listening to Natasha cheer you on before you speak again, “I’m sure he has someone, anyway.”

“He was blushing hard,” Natasha points out.

“He was?” Wanda gasps.

“Stop!” you demand, laughing as you take another sip, “Nat, why don’t we gossip about you and Sam, instead.”

She grins mischievously, “Yeah, I’ve definitely got my eye on him. But, that’s not as fun as watching you squirm.”

Wanda laughs, “Totally.”

You roll your eyes and finish off your drink, knowing Natasha is about to start in again, and you’re much too sober for it.

“Wanda, you should’ve seen the way Bucky’s friend, Steve, was flirting with her, too,” she continues, “He carried in boxes, and I’ll be damned, she even put her hand on his arm! And that man is all muscles. She loves to play innocent, but I think she knows what she’s doing.”

“She definitely does,” Wanda agrees, “I’m sure you’ve got both of those guys in a chokehold already. This will be interesting.”

You sigh, “Anyway.”

“Aw, don’t get all pouty,” Nat teases.

“I’m just not looking for that right now,” you explain casually, waving down the bartender for another drink, “I want a quiet life. My own house, my job, and my weekend outings with you guys. I don’t need some guy.”

They both soften as they stare at you, listening closely as you explain your feelings to them. They know how you’ve been handled by men in the past, and they understand that you’re not like them. You can’t let it roll off your back the way you do; you take it personally. You get hurt when you shouldn’t. You attach meaning to things where others don’t. Now, with your job and your improved mental state, you don’t feel like risking any of it over a man.

“Well, cheers to that, then,” Wanda breaks the silence, holding her cup up in the air, “Let’s get fucking drunk.”

You wake the next morning with regret, anxiety, and one big, fat headache. You groan and curse out loud at yourself, then climb out of the bed to get some coffee and aspirin in you. Briefly, you consider food, but the thought makes your stomach turn.

You spy a note on the counter in Natasha’s handwriting, which is the first thing that clues you in that she isn’t here.

Thanks for last night! Had to run. Chores to do at home. Still coming on Tuesday night with Chinese to help you unpack, so you better not be called in to work.

XOXO,

Nat

You smile at it as you fire up the coffee maker, then dig through the open box on your counter until you find the bottle of aspirin you always keep handy. You recap the night in your mind; the teasing about the neighbors, the drinks, the dancing, the drinks, the karaoke, the drinks. You hadn’t planned on drinking so much, but you wanted to let off some steam. Given that you work a fourteen hour shift tomorrow, you feel like you deserved it. Now, you’re not so sure.

After a few hours, your headache starts to subside and your stomach growls. Knowing you don’t have any food in the house and refusing to do an entire grocery store run, you resort to picking up takeout.

As you pull down the newly familiar street with a bag of food sitting on your passenger seat, you notice motion at the house next to yours. Steve is out in Bucky’s front yard, tossing a foam football around with Noah. You smile at the sight, then let your eyes travel a little further left. Bucky is pushing a mower down his lawn, shirtless, sweaty, and showstopping.

You groan when you realize you’re in shorts and a giant sweatshirt with messy hair; not at all presentable for him. Then, you scold yourself for even thinking that way.

We’re just neighbors. That’s it.

Regardless, you still try to fix your hair before you get out of the car. Steve recognizes your vehicle and waves over to Bucky, who stops the mower and walks over to his garage, where he grabs a cloth to wipe up his sweat.

You climb out of the car shyly, wondering if you should clear out your garage today just so this could be avoided in the future. Before you even lock the doors, Steve’s voice carries across the yard.

“Go ahead, buddy. She’s right there.”

You furrow your brows, gripping your food a little tighter.

“Good afternoon, Miss Y/N.”

You can’t help but grin as soon as you hear his little voice, and you forget all about your hangover and the bag of grease in your hand as you spin around.

“Good afternoon, Jamie,” you reply, watching the little boy’s cheeks grow pink, “Are you kicking your uncle’s butt in football?”

You gesture to the foam ball in Jamie’s palms, and shyly, he nods his head.

“Yes,” Jamie grins, “He’s not very good.”

“Excuse me,” Steve cuts in, “I’ve taught him everything he knows.”

“Everything?”

Your eyes move from Jamie and Steve to Bucky, who is approaching with a teasing grin. You stare as he brings his cloth around the back of his neck and wipes his sweat away, then drags his eyes from his friend over to you.

His muscles in his chest flex then, and you visibly swallow and look away. You swear you hear Steve’s low chuckle, but you don’t dare look over out of fear that the men will see right through you.

“Hi, Y/N,” Bucky greets you, watching as you hesitantly look back up at him again.

“Hi, Bucky,” you reply, trying to figure out what to follow up with, only to blurt, “Yard looks good.”

Steve snorts and you clamp your lips together, wishing silently that you could snatch the words right out of the air and back into your mouth.

Even so, Bucky’s lips tip up into a genuine smile, and you swear you see the high points of his cheeks go pink — just like Jamie’s.

“Thanks,” he says sheepishly, “I’m happy to help you out with yours anytime you need it.”

He watches as you recoil at his kindness, letting your shoulders drop and a pout form on your lips. Steve sighs audibly, but neither of you even glance his way.

“Thank you very much, I appreciate that,” you smile.

“You’re welcome.”

The two of you grow stuck in a trance of sorts as you explore him with your eyes; his tan skin, his chest, his softening belly that makes your knees feel physically weak, and his messy hair. His soft brown eyes that work all over your body, too.

“Wouldn’t want that food to get cold, Y/N,” Steve says knowingly, drawing you and Bucky away from each other.

“Right. I’ll let you guys get back to it,” you give Bucky a nod and he returns it, then you move your eyes down to Jamie, “Nice to see you, Jamie. Keep beating him, okay?”

Jamie grins, “Okay.”

Steve and Bucky both laugh and so do you, and with a wave to Steve, you disappear inside your house. You try not to replay the entire thing in your head as you set your food out to eat. You turn on a show on the TV that is only half hooked up, and just as you start to eat, you hear the lawnmower fire up again.

With minimal hesitation and refusal to think twice, you hurry over to your window — the one that faces Bucky’s — and watch as he pushes the mower down the side of his house. He’s focused, sweaty, and tan, and it stirs something inside of you. Careful not to get caught, you let your food get cold on the coffee table, Steve be damned. Bucky is a sight to see, and you find nothing wrong with indulging. It means nothing, you tell yourself. It means nothing. He’s just nice to look at, that’s all.

a/n: pleeeease let me know if i should continue writing this or not! so curious what your thoughts will be! reblogs are appreciated and thank you for reading <3

*i no longer have a tag list. follow @mackupdates to see every time i post something new!

#bucky imagine #bucky x reader #bucky barnes #bucky barnes x y/n #james buchanan bucky barnes #james bucky barnes #james buchanan barnes #bucky fanfic #bucky x y/n #bucky x you #dad bucky x reader #bucky x female reader #bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes x reader #the winter soldier #single dad bucky

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pinkiebieberpie · 1 year

Text

i saw this new photo of sebastian and i thought about single!dad!bucky dropping his daughter off to school, but when he was leaving he saw you - his baby girl's teacher, so he stopped to talk to you (flirt with you, cause he has a really big crush on you) and he is so charming and nice, but he also knows how to make you blush

#sebastian stan #bucky barnes #bucky barnes moodboard #bucky barnes imagine #bucky barnes au #bucky barnes x y/n #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x you #james bucky barnes #bucky barnes fluff #single!dad!bucky #single dad!bucky #dad!bucky #dilf!bucky #sebastian stan x you #sebastian stan x reader #bucky barnes smut #bucky barnes blurb #bucky barnes drabble

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ninchen1909 · 1 year

Text

A drunken rage and a sober confession

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Words: 1.116

Warnings: the use of alcohol, fluff

Summary: Bucky confesses his feelings to you after he comes to you after a date gone wrong. But you won't hear his confession since you're sleeping. But are you really sleeping?

„I mean come on Buck, don’t let this chick get you down, she doesn’t know what she’s missing. You’re nice, sweet, funny, generous, you make the best chocolate Chip cookies I’ve ever tried und you have the world cutest daughter. Seriously it’s her loss, now she will never see your ass in the pants of your fireman uniform. “

And here you are, standing in front of your best friend, one hand on your hip, while you hold a half empty bottle of vodka with the other one. Giving your best friend the best speech about self-worth that you can, in your admittedly quite drunken condition.

When Bucky called you earlier, to ask you if he can come over, you were surprised, you expected him to still be on the date of which he told you, with the "really cute lady" he had met at the supermarket.

And of course you weren't even the slightest bit jealous when he told you about it. No, of course you weren't. And certainly this date is not the reason why you have been drinking for two hours already. I mean it’s not like you've been totally hopelessly in love with him for over four years now, without him noticing.

But how could you not be in love with him? Bucky is always there for you when you're down, he supports you where he can and every time you see him in his firefighter uniform you have to be careful that your jaw doesn’t hit the ground. The only one who knows about your feelings for Bucky is your best friend Natasha, apparently you didn't keep your ogling as secret as you thought you did, as she soon found out about your crush on him. After a long talk from her, you wanted to ask him out, but unfortunately it was the same day that he told you about the "supermarket lady".

So you locked your feelings deep in your heart and were happy for him as much as you could. After all, it's been a long time since he threw himself into the dating pool. Ever since his now ex-girlfriend ,Lisa, left him about two years ago, leaving their then seven-month-old daughter Charlotte with him.

All the time you are walking up and down the living room giving while giving him your uplifting monologue, Bucky is sitting on your sofa, grinning and following your movements with his eyes.

“Angel, it's really not that big of a deal. She just didn't want to have a little kid in her life. And that's ok. As long as I have you and Charlie, I will be fine.”

You roll your eyes and pause in your movement:” Why am I angrier at this woman than you are, she knew you had a daughter before the date.” you look at him questioningly.

“First of all she did know I have a daughter, yes but she didn’t know Charlie is still so young. And second you’re angry because you are drunk, you always get upset faster when you are drunk. But honestly how much did you drink and why?”

While he was answering you, Bucky got up and moved closer to you.

Only now do you really notice the affect of the alcohol, before that you were still distracted by your angry rant

Your slight swaying, a clear sign of your alcohol level.

Bucky seems to notice this, because he carefully pulls you close to him, to stabilize you.

"Come on, let's get you to bed" he carefully tries to move you towards the bedroom, but you stop him: "No, I have to be there for you today and take care of you, not you for me.”

Smiling lovingly, Bucky looks you in the eye:” Just seeing you today, made this day better, and as I said, I’m fine. And you little miss, are definitely drunk, so off to bed you go.”

This time you go with him willingly.

When you arrived in your bedroom, he helps you out of your clothes. While Bucky disappears into the kitchen to get you a glass of water for the night, you snuggle up under your covers. As you lie there you feel everything start to spin, so you close your eyes to avoid getting overwhelmed.

You can hear Bucky's footsteps as he approaches your bedroom again, but you can't bring yourself to open your eyes, you’re way too tired. Apparently he thinks you fell asleep because his steps slow down and he tries to walk as quietly as possible. You realize, that he is now standing next to your bad as he puts the glass of water down on your bedside table. However, you still do not open your eyes. You feel his hand lovingly stroking your forehead and wiping your hair off your face.

Your mattress sinks in slightly and you notice that he has sat down next to you on the bed, stilling running his fingers through your hair, he sighs, then begins to speak softly: ”Oh angel, if you only knew what you mean to me and that I only went on this date to forget you at least for a few hours. But I needed some way to take my mind off you. Getting that image of you, me and Charlie as a family out of your head. But I should have known that I can never get my mind of you. Steve said I should finally confess my feelings to you and tell you the truth about Lisa and me. But I can't, what if you don't want to be friends with me anymore. I can bear never having you all to myself, but I could never deal with it, if you turned your back on me. If only I could tell you how beautiful you make my life. How many times I wish you were Charlie's mother, but I don't dare. Maybe someday I'll grow some balls, so I’m brave enough, to tell you all this when you're awake, to tell you that I love you with all my heart and all my soul. But not today.” Suddenly you feel fully sober again.

He gets up from your bed carefully, a few seconds later you feel his warm, soft lips blow a gentle kiss on your forehead before his steps move away from your bedroom. You hold your breath, only when you hear the front door slam softly do you open your eyes and let air flow into your lungs again.

Just to whisper a single, quiet sentence into the darkness of the room: "I love you too.

#bucky imagine #Buck Barnes x Reader #bucky barnes #bucky barnes x best friend #bucky barnes imagine #Single dad bucky #single dad bucky x Reader #firefighter bucky #Fire fighter buck x reader

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imaginationintowords · 1 year

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Speak Now *sequel to The Kids Will Be Alright*

Chapter 8

Single dad!Bucky, Single mom!Reader, Clark Kent x Reader; Hybrid Social Media AU

Summary: Bucky and Y/n are dealing with the aftermath of Y/n’s engagement to Clark. Everyone has mixed feelings about the engagement, seeing as it is too quick, but they’re all just trying to be supportive of her and Clark, that is everyone except Natasha. Natasha and Y/n are still not talking. Sam and Natasha are also having marriage issues, Sam not agreeing with the way Natasha handled everything, while Natasha wishes he’d just be on her side. Bucky is trying his hardest to push down his feelings for Y/n, but as time continues on he can’t help but feel sadness as he sees Clark and Y/n plan their wedding. He continues to suffer in silence, while Steve watches his best friend slowly deteriorate. Y/n is out of her mind stressed, debating whether to call this whole thing off, or just elope.

Warnings: none

Word count: 2991

Masterlist

*taglist to this series is closed. To be added to the waitlist/permanent tag list. Info here*

_____________

“Natasha, did you want me to call dinner in?” Sam calls out to her, walking into their living room where Natasha was sitting on the couch. She was on her laptop going over her schedule for the work week ahead of her.

“Yeah, I’m down for whatever you want to eat,” she tells him, as he walks in to sit next to her.

“I’m going to order from that Indian place we like,” he sits down next to her, pulling out his phone to place the order.

“What the hell,” Natasha says, looking down at an email.

“Okay, then I won’t order Indian.”

“No, Indian is good,” she says, “I just got an email from Diana Prince.”

“Really?” He says looking over at her laptop, “Why?”

“What the hell,” she pauses, reading over the email.

“What?” Sam says, leaning over to try and read the email.

“She’s asking if I’m representing Bucky in a custody battle with [Y/N],” she tells him.

“What the hell?”

“I know,” she says confused, “Did you know he was going for full custody?”

“No,” Sam shakes his head, “I’m more confused as to why Diana Prince would be contacting you about this and not Loki or Pepper, or someone else in the family law department.”

“Babe, I’m just as confused as you are,” she says, “She mentions how my name was brought up when meeting with [Y/N]. What would [Y/N] even tell her? I’m not a family law attorney. She knows that. Why would I, a criminal defense lawyer, take on a child custody case?”

“I mean if she says [Y/N] mentioned you, you kinda have to assume why, right,” Sam says.

“Why would she even bring up what's going on between us in a meeting with her lawyer? How does that make me involved in this custody case?” Natasha says, completely dumbfounded why [Y/N] would tell Diana Prince she had any involvement in this, “Diana Prince is the last person I would ever want to know what’s going on in my fucking personal life. Especially one that now involves her new client.”

“Very bold of her to get Diana Prince on the case,” Sam says, knowing Natasha’s history with Diana.

“She clearly doesn’t want to lose custody.”

“Yeah, but that’s the part that doesn’t make sense,” Sam says, “Why would Bucky even threaten to take Daisy away? I get things between them haven’t been as great as it was pre-engagement but I just don’t see him going straight to that option. It’s very unlike him.”

“Very unlike him,” she agrees, still lost in thought over the entire situation, “That’s the last thing he would do. He wouldn’t do anything to hurt Daisy.”

“Do I just ignore it?” Natasha turns towards Sam, “Do I respond back? Do I call Bucky?”

“This is clearly a private matter between Bucky and [Y/N]. And he clearly didn’t want us to know. But,” he pauses.

“But what?” Natasha pushes.

“Thinking as a lawyer. You don’t really want to let Diana know that. Right? That you don’t know what’s going on. Because for all we know Bucky could be doing just that, and seeing as we are way too close to the situation. We ethically shouldn’t be involved as his attorney.”

“So should I call him?”

“There is one other person that comes to mind that he might’ve asked. The only person in our group who’s an actual family law attorney.”

“Do you really think Loki would do that? Plus he’s on paternity leave,” Natasha says.

“He might. If Bucky asked.”

“So do I call Loki?”

“No. Because if he didn’t then we would just be gossiping about something that you and I are clearly not supposed to know,” Sam says.

“So do I call Bucky?” She asks again.

“That’s probably the best option.” He shrugs, still unsure about this whole situation.

“Okay,” she sighs, and picks up her phone.

“Hey Nat, what’s up?” Bucky answered the phone.

“So I’m just going to be straight up with you,” she says.

“Okay, about what?” He asked, taken back by her greeting.

“So I got an email from Diana Prince, regarding a custody battle between you and [Y/N],” she tells him, “she was basically asking me if I was representing you in this custody battle.”

“Please tell me this is some sick joke,” Bucky deadpans.

“It would be a very sick joke,” Natasha tells him.

“I can’t believe she’s really doing this,” Bucky sighs. Natasha can hear the exhaustion laced in his voice, “If she only listened to me for five fucking minutes she would see that this has been completely thrown out of proportion.”

“So you’re not filing for full custody?”

“No, fuck no,” he says, “I just wanted us to meet up with a lawyer to have our agreement made legal. So we can’t fuck each other over.”

“So you don’t have a lawyer?”

“I do,” he tells her, “but not in the way she thinks I do. I asked Loki to help me draft up our agreement. Nothing would really change aside from the fact that we both need to communicate better with each other. And that she can’t do anything shady regarding Daisy. Like for instance she can’t just move Daisy away from me. That we both need to be in agreement when it comes to Daisy.”

“Honestly I just needed a legal way to protect myself as Daisy’s father,” Bucky stresses.

“Yeah well it looks like it’s going to be way more than just that,” Natasha sighs, feeling sorry for Bucky and the situation he’s currently in.

“I’m not trying to take Daisy away,” he says, “I would never do that. That would just do more harm towards Daisy. And I would never in a million years put that stress on her. She doesn’t need to be dragged into this shit show of a mess, purely because her parents have a hard time communicating.”

“That’s why I was so confused why Diana Prince would even email me regarding this,” she tells him.

“I can’t even imagine what she’s telling Diana about this whole situation,” he sighs in defeat, feeling a headache coming on, “the last person I would ever want to know what’s going on in my life.”

“That’s what I said,” Natasha says.

“Just don’t email her back,” Bucky tells her, “I’ll talk to Loki about it, and have him send her an email explaining the situation on Monday, after I talk to [Y/N] tomorrow when she drops Daisy off.”

“Okay, if you need any help don’t hesitate to ask,” Natasha tells him before they hang up.

_________________________

Bucky spends the early evening scurrying around his little townhouse, getting things ready for when Daisy gets dropped off. He already had dinner ready for her on the stove.

The knock on his door takes him by surprise for a split second. He quickly goes over to open the door, expecting to see [Y/N] and Daisy. He definitely wasn’t expecting Clark to be with them also. He can’t help but to let out a light scoff.

Guess this is how it’s going to be now, he thought.

“Daddy!” Daisy exclaimed, throwing her arms around his legs.

“Hi honey,” he smiles, hugging her.

She lets go of his legs and runs off to go put her backpack in her room.

“Can we talk?” Bucky asks [Y/N], “just five minutes.”

“I don’t think that’s best,” Clark says.

“No offense but I was talking to [Y/N],” Bucky says, annoyed not bothering to look at Clark, “Please [Y/N]. It doesn’t have to go down this route. Please just let me explain everything and you’ll see this was all just a misunderstanding.”

“What route are you talking about?” She asks.

“I’m not an idiot, [Y/N]. I know you’ve got Diana Prince representing you. In whatever you think this might be.”

‘You’re the one that set that in motion the moment you told me you got an attorney to discuss our custody agreement,” she tells him, “you did that Bucky.”

“I didn’t even do anything,” he tries to keep his voice down, so Daisy can’t hear them.

“But you threatened me that you would.”

“I did no such thing.”

“Daddy, I’m hungry,” Daisy yells, as she comes skipping into the room. All the adults go silent.

“Okay, Dais,” he smiles, “go wash up and dinner is all done in the kitchen.”

“Can we watch Frozen while we eat?” She asks, eyes lighting up.

“Of course,” he smiles at her as she runs off with a squeal.

He turns back to the door, “Please [Y/N], don’t do anything yet. Please. Just give me a moment to explain everything.”

“I’m sorry Bucky,” she shakes her head, “it’s already done.”

Bucky just stands there in shock.

“We should go,” Clark says, ushering her away from his front door, he turns back towards Bucky, “from now on I think it’s best if we just go through our attorneys. We won’t be discussing this with you any further than needed.”

Bucky stood there watching them walk away. Fighting every inch of his body telling him to punch Clark in the face. He really wanted to. But the last thing he wanted was for Daisy to see any of that drama. Plus he knows that the couple would just use it against him.

“I’m ready Daddy,” Daisy says, coming back into the room.

“Sounds good,” he closes the door, and turns to look down at her, “let's eat.”

_________________

After making sure Daisy is asleep for the night, Bucky calls Loki.

“Hey Buck,” Loki answers, “How did it go?”

“Bad,” he answers, “So bad, that I guess now we have to talk through our attorneys.”

“Really?” Loki asked surprised that this is all coming down to this.

“Apparently so,” he says, collapsing onto the couch, “Clark made sure I knew to no longer discuss this with them.”

“Who did [Y/N] get to represent her?” Loki asks.

“Diana Prince,” Bucky tells him.

“You’re kidding me?”

“Nope. Apparently [Y/N] told her she thought I got Natasha to represent me.”

“Why would she? That doesn’t even make sense.”

“None of this is making any sense anymore,” Bucky sighs.

“I’m just going to ask this one final time, are you sure you want to go through with this?” Loki asks him.

Bucky pauses for a moment. He knows he can end it all right at this moment. If he were to tell [Y/N] that he is dropping it all and just wants to keep things the way they were, she would. But he knows that it won’t change anything and things won’t be like how they were. They just simply can’t and now he has Clark to worry about.

In the end he’s doing all of this for Daisy, if he gives up it almost feels like he would be.

“Yes,” Bucky says so surely in his answer, “This is the only way now.”

“I’ll email Diana Prince, letting her know that I’m representing you, along with the agreement we have drafted up. I’ll also go ahead and set up a meeting for all of us to talk it through,” Loki explains how this is all going to go down, “have your secretary send your schedule to mine so I can pick the date that works best.”

“Okay, I will. Once again Loki, I’m very grateful that you’re doing this for me,” Bucky tells him.

“I’m sure that’ll change once you get my bill,” Loki jokes.

Bucky lets out a boisterous laugh. He hears a crying baby in the background.

“I’ve taken enough of your time. I’ll let you get back to the family.”

“Just one last thing,” Loki says before hanging up, “Be prepared for the good, the bad, and the ugly. Things are probably going to get worse before they get better. But don’t let it get the best of you. Child custody cases really know how to bring the worse out of a person. Just try not to let it affect you. You know you’re a good father. Everyone does, including [Y/N]. At the end of the day, this is all for Daisy.”

“Thanks Lok, I’ll make sure to keep that in mind.”

“Goodnight Bucky,” Loki says.

“Goodnight,” Bucky hangs up the phone.

_________________

“Do you have those samples for the Tanner’s kitchen remodel?” [Y/N] asks Valkyrie as she walks into her office.

“Yes, I do,” Val says, digging through the items on her desk, pulling out the samples needed, “they ended up changing the cabinet colors. Again.”

“Again?” [Y/N] sighs, “this is the third time. Are they serious about keeping this color? Because I’m headed to finalize everything with the contractor.”

“Might want to give them a call before you go.”

“Will do,” she sighs, grabbing the samples.

“Is everything okay?” Val asks, noticing [Y/N]’s stressed out look.

“Things have been a bit stressful at home,” [Y/N] says.

“What’s going on? Feel like I have no idea what’s been going on with you lately,” Val says.

“Yeah, we haven’t had a girl’s night out in awhile.”

“It’s been a couple of months,” Val says, festering to the chair in front of her desk for [Y/N] to sit.

[Y/N] takes a seat and sighs.

“So what’s wrong?” Val asks.

“Bucky and I are about to get into a custody battle.”

“Wait, what?” Val says surprised by that confession.

“Yup,” she sighs, “Bucky got a lawyer a couple of weeks ago.”

“Why? I thought things were good with your agreement?”

“So did I,” [Y/N] says, “until he mentioned wanting to have a meeting with his lawyer to discuss our agreement.”

“Why would he do that?”

“He thinks I’m going to just move and take Daisy with me without considering him.”

“Are you moving?” Val asks.

“No, I don’t plan on moving,” [Y/N] shakes her head, “at least not in the next five years. Also I wouldn’t take Daisy away from him. But he seems to think otherwise. And now things are escalating way too fast.”

“Was something just not working with your agreement?”

“He wouldn’t say. He just kept saying he has to protect himself,” [Y/N] says, “I have never once threatened to take Daisy from him. I’ve never tried to use her as a pawn. Things have always been good between us.

Things have never been this bad between us. Not in all our years of friendship.”

“I mean things were bound to change,” Val says, “especially with you getting married.”

“But me getting married doesn’t mean I’m going to take Daisy from him.”

“Yeah, but maybe he needs this as reassurance.”

“But why does it need to be this extreme?”

“He is a lawyer,” Val shrugs, “Maybe you two just need to sit down and talk it over.”

“I don’t think that’ll be a very good idea at this moment,” [Y/N] sighs, “we got into a bad argument. Clark thinks we should keep it short and anything regarding this should be discussed through our lawyers.”

Valkyrie is taken back by this information. She’s surprised Clark is having any say in this situation.

“Don’t you think that just talking through your lawyers is a bit extreme?” Val asks, hoping to maybe get [Y/N] to change her mind and just talk to Bucky.

“Maybe.”’

“Also don’t you think this should just be between you and Bucky?” Val says, “No offense to Clark, but do you think his involvement might be playing a part in all of Bucky’s frustration?”

“Maybe,” [Y/N] ponders over that thought, “Probably. Most likely.”

“Do you want Clark involved in all of this?” Val asks.

“He’s been very helpful with the whole situation,” [Y/N] says, “he set me up with his lawyer friend who will be representing me. He’s also going to be Daisy’s stepfather once we get married. So he’ll have some sort of say.”

“Yeah, that is true,” Val nods, “but you guys aren’t married right now. Do you think Bucky finds his involvement in all of this to be a bit…much?”

“I’m sure he would prefer Clark to stay out of it,” [Y/N] says, “I’m sure he sees it as Clark interfering on something that doesn’t involve him, and potentially making things worse.”

“Do you think Clark will make things worse?”

[Y/N] takes a moment to ponder the question. She knows Clark is just doing what he thinks is best for her, and he’s been so incredibly helpful and supportive through all of this. But even she knows Clark’s input will be more biased towards how he sees things and how it’ll affect them as a couple, future family.

She thinks back to being in the lawyer office and them discussing holidays. [Y/N] never wants to exclude Bucky in anything especially when it involves their daughter. So she never saw their holiday agreement as anything strange, it was their normal. She never saw it being an issue. That’s mostly because it was never an issue. She and Bucky grew up in New York, both their families are there, so it was always easy to include everyone in everything. With Clark not being from here, it does change things. She knew he wanted to say more on the holiday stuff, but chose against it. And she meant to bring it up to him, but she just doesn’t know how to go about it. Plus right now her only focus is Daisy and this thing with Bucky.

“[Y/N],” Valkyrie softly calls out, breaking [Y/N] from her thoughts.

“Sorry,” she whispers, “I think Clark just makes things more complicated.”

“In a good or bad way?”

“Both?” [Y/N] thinks out loud.

“I guess only time will tell where the scale will tip,” Valkyrie says, leaving [Y/N] to ponder more with her thoughts.

___________

Speak Now taglist *the series tag list is closed, but the permanent one is still open*

@stinkysteveharrington @jupiter-gvf @romantic-slaps-on-the-asss @kmuir1 @angstysebfan @thefandomimagines @princess-momo-barnes @spid3rgwen @friendlyneighborhoodchaos @teenagedreams-bucky @capmanranger @freakassbuthunter @shadowolf993 @carmellasworld @zaphdekota @writing-for-marvel @sazc94 @aliloz-3 @goffbby @film-enthusiastt @eclipses-and-moondust @isidorareadings @mylifewithfandoms @your-not-invisible-to-me @seb13stan @jewelsrocks99 @peaches-roses-sins @mirrorballsangel @ohharrie @feel-it-on-the-way-home13 @buckystevelove @enlyume

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rainbowsprinkledpirate · 1 year

Text

Trick-or-Treat 👻🍭

Pairing: Single!Dad!Bucky Barnes x Younger!Male!Reader

Summary: Halloween was a special time of year for you. Because you could be with the one you love most. And also prank people without much complaint. Something you made sure to include your love in.

AN: This will be from Bucky's point of view. I decided to try it out for fun.

A loud knock at the door jerks Bucky from his doze. He squints over at the clock next to the fridge. It read seven thirty-two.

That's odd. Steve wasn't due back with Rebecca until nine-ish. So, who was knocking at the door? Some trick-or-treaters? It couldn't be. He made sure not to leave his porch light on so they'd avoid his house.

Another rough knock at his door forces Bucky to his feet.

He recalls that a few kids last year stopped by his house even with the porch light off and kept knocking because they knew he was home. At the time Y/n, a boy he saved a few years earlier who ended up making him fall in love with him, had scared them off. But Y/n was busy at some friend's party.

Damn kids.

He scowls before jerking the door open ready to knock some sense into the kids. But there were no kids, only a man dressed in dirty blue overalls and a scuffed Michael Myers mask.

Bucky huffs a laugh.

"Uh, hey there Mister Myers. Sorry I'm all out of candy." The man says nothing simply staring at Bucky from his place on the porch.

At this angle he couldn't see what color the man's eyes were, only darkness peers back from the mask's eye holes.

Unease pricks along Bucky's spine at the silence. His time in the army taught him that quiet was never good. Fingers twitching against the door handle, he rocks back on his heels.

"Thanks for the good scare, but I think it's time for you to go now. I've got stuff to do." And by 'stuff to do' Bucky meant get some extra sleep while he can.

He moves to close the door and the man backs off, turning to leave.

For a moment Bucky finds him staring after the Michael Myers cosplayer. It had been a while since he saw such good design put into the outfit. They really went all out.

Shrugging off the unease he made his way slowly back to the couch. But something made him hesitate. He once again blames his time in the army making him jumpy. Yet it saved his and Steve's life more than he could count.

Movement up the stairs leading to his and Rebecca's rooms grabs his full attention. A shadow emerges from his room and he stiffens.

It was the Michael Myers guy from earlier.

"What the hell?" Before he can move for his handgun stashed away in one of the cabinets in the kitchen the Michael Myers starts dancing. Hips wiggling back and forth as he pretty much hops down the stairs.

Bucky had seen that terrible dance once before and immediately slaps his forehead with a groan.

"Y/n! I could have shot you, asshole." The man in question jumps off the last step and tugs off the mask, eyes twinkling with mirth. Bucky's rapidly beating heart slows at the sight of the h/c's mused hair from the mask.

"Come on, you have to admit that was pretty good."

It was because it was unexpected and Bucky hated to admit it out loud.

"Whatever," He allows himself to finally plop back on the couch while flipping Y/n the bird. "Now that you're here, let's watch the real Michael Myers at work."

Y/n saunters over, kissing the top of Bucky's head setting fireworks off in his chest before dropping down beside him.

"Oh, yeah. One more thing before the movie, Buck." Bucky raises a quizzical brow as Y/n turns to face him, looking oddly serious.

"Trick-or-treat. Smell my feet-" Bucky proceeds to smother Y/n with a pillow as he howls with laughter.

It was hard not to love the idiot. Even when he got on Bucky's nerves. In the end, he was glad he saved this ridiculously handsome yet annoying guy those few years ago. Because it meant his holidays ended up being a little brighter and filled with joy.

Bucky Barnes Masterlist

AN: Hope you enjoyed although it was short. I had fun writing this! Happy Halloween! 🦇🎃🦇

#bucky barnes x male reader #bucky x male reader #x male reader #modern au #james buchanan barnes #Single dad bucky #bucky barnes fanfiction #halloween #criticism welcome

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livingbreathingdreams · 2 years

Text

Stuff I like

• LAST UPDATE NOVEMBER 21, 2023 •

• BUCKY BARNES • STEVE ROGERS • CAPTAIN SYVERSON • HARRY STYLES • PEDRO PASCAL CHARACTERS •

🌸 Slow burn [because I’m a sucker for endless buildup] ⎮ ⚪️ Friends to lovers ⎮ 🧡 Personal favorite

Bed-Sharing Fics

Period Comfort Fics

Anxious!Reader Fics

PEDRO PASCAL CHARACTER Fics

BUCKY BARNES

❤︎ two thousand, five hundred and sixty-nine @kinanabinks 🌸⚪️

❤︎ Something More @tellmealovestory ⚪️

❤︎ Heart & Soul @all1e23 (Alpha!Bucky x Omega!Reader AU)🌸🧡

❤︎ Mystery of Love @heli0s-writes (Soulmate Stucky x Reader AU) 🌸⚪️

❤︎ Hearsay @jadedvibes ⚪️

Single Dad!Bucky x Reader

❤︎ Astrophile @all1e23 🌸🧡

❤︎ Teacher’s Favorite AU @suitk0via

❤︎ A Touch of Ink @deamstellarus 🌸

❤︎ Parent-Teacher Conference @coffeecatsandcandles 🌸

❤︎ Seven-Thirty @nacho-bucky (Godfather!Bucky)

❤︎ Life is Gourd @redhairedfeistynerd

❤︎ Love at First Grade @buckysimp101 🌸

STEVE ROGERS

Single Dad!Steve Rogers x Reader

❤︎ Slow Like Honey @heli0s-writes 🌸

CAPTAIN SYVERSON

❤︎ Syverson - Vignettes @invisibleanonymousmonsters 🧡

❤︎ Second Chances @notabronte (Captain Syverson x OFC) 🌸

❤︎ Your Condition + Part 2 @sillyrabbit81 🧡

❤︎ Even If You Don’t Mean It @sillyrabbit81 ⚪️

❤︎ Eyes That See @just-chirpin 🌸

HARRY STYLES

❤︎ Strange Tides @theasstour 🌸

❤︎ Citrine @moonchildstyles 🌸🧡

❤︎ UNPLANNED @idkthisisjustforfanfic 🌸⚪️🧡

Single Dad!Harry Styles x Reader

❤︎ Adore You @gucciwins

❤︎ Golden Sparks @gucciwins 🌸🧡

❤︎ Baby Steps @ethusiasticharry

❤︎ Trials and Tribulations @hrina 🌸🧡

❤︎ Christmas Magic @signofthebarnes

❤︎ TO LOVE AND BE LOVED @watchmegetobsessed 🌸

❤︎ PARENT TRAP @watchmegetobsessed 🌸

❤︎ darling @autumn-sunflowers

❤︎ You Send Me @ill-be-your-honey-bri

❤︎ Office Neighbors @atlafan 🌸⚪️🧡

❤︎ You, Me, and the Coin Trick + Part 2 @astranva 🌸⚪️

❤︎ Milking the Grip @awideworldoffanfics

#bucky barnes x reader #single dad bucky #single dad!bucky x reader #steve rogers x reader #single dad steve rogers #single dad!steve rogers x reader #captain syverson #captain syverson x reader #fic recs #slow burn #harry styles x reader #single dad harry styles #single dad!harry styles #harry styles slow burn #anxious!reader

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itskateak · 1 year

Text

Mint Ice Cream & Bubblegum Kisses - Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Summary: The winter season was usually slow and boring, but that has certainly changed now that they lived in the compound.

Word Count: 10.5K (Officially the LONGEST chapter)

Warnings: Fluff, Minor Angst, Major Pining, Alcohol Consumption, Winter Bashing

A/N: Heyyyyy sooo....it's been a while. November 2021, yeah? School took over and I lost motivation to write. So here we are after I've graduated and moved back home. Thank you for being so patient with me :)

This chapter was solely supposed to be just ice skating, but because of how long it has taken me, I've added some more things and it will be a long chapter.

Want to listen to Bucky's playlist? Find it here on Spotify:

(There will be a list of all the songs below so you can create your own playlist on your preferred platform and add anything you like. Some of the musical selections are brought to you by my Grandmother, who was born in the 40s.)

Finally, come find me on Twitter! @Writing_Raven_

You can harass me about my writing and receive updates here.

When I said I was coming back, I meant I'm feeding y'all what I wanted to feed y'all this whole time.

COME AND GET Y'ALL'S JUICE

Taglist is open! PM me, send an ask, or @ me on a chapter to let me know you’d like to be tagged! Strikethrough means I couldn’t tag you, but I will send you a message with a link to the new chapter when I update. :)

Masterlist

✿°•∘ɷ∘•°✿ ... ✿°•∘ɷ∘•°✿ ... ✿°•∘ɷ∘•°✿

"I have absolutely no balance and I will fall on my ass," Y/N grumbled, tightening the laces on his ice skates. It was a sunny day and the temperature wasn't too cold. After days of begging and waiting, Angelica had finally gotten her wish to go ice skating on the lake. And here was her father, muttering curses under his breath about how bruised he was going to be by the end of the day.

"It'll be fine , man. Just takes some getting used to." Sam called from the edge of the ice, hands on his waist. He was smiling, cheeks and nose just barely red from the cold. "Angelica, you ready?"

Angelica nodded and carefully picked her way down to the ice. She took Sam's hand and stepped out, wavering immediately. She squealed and grabbed onto his arms to keep from falling. "Sam!"

"I've got you, kiddo. Get your feet under you. There you go." Sam chuckled, leading her further onto the ice while skating backward. He started to instruct her, keeping a hand on her to make sure she wouldn't fall.

"He's got nephews," Natasha bumped Y/N's shoulder as she finished tying her skates. He wasn't worried about Sam with his daughter, but he was glad that he made sure her skates were tight. "Don't know where he learned to skate, though."

"Sam was a hockey player in high school. Pretty good, too, if his sister is to be believed." Bucky held a hand out to Nat and pulled her to her feet. She smiled and muttered a quick thanks before moving to the ice. He extended the same hand to Y/N when he straightened up.

"Thanks. I haven't been skating in years so I'll probably end up on my ass more than I'll be on my feet." Y/N tentatively stepped onto the ice, hands shooting out immediately to gain his balance. "Yeah. This is not gonna go well for me."

Bucky snorted and followed him. He took a couple of strides out before turning around, stopping gracefully in place. "I believe in you. And if you fall, I'll laugh before helping you up."

"Oh, so kind. What a gentleman of your time." Y/N rolled his eyes but couldn't fight a smile.

"I'd do the same thing to anyone else. Maybe a little quicker if I was sweet on them." Bucky winked, digging his toe pick into the ice and pushing backward. "You need a hand getting used to skating?"

"Maybe? I'll manage, though. If I fall, I fall, y'know?" Y/N shrugged, taking his first step forward. It had been a long time since he'd last skated and in some ways, it was like riding a bike. He'd remember in time, but for now, he was just prepared to fall until he got the hang of it again.

"Then I'm gonna do a lap to loosen up a bit. Don't hurt yourself too badly while I'm gone." Bucky picked up speed backward before turning perfectly on his heel.

Y/N shook his head with a smile and slowly tried to find a rhythm. His legs already burned with the effort. He wasn't made to do this kind of exercise anymore. He'd say he was getting too old, but he really wasn't. He just wasn't the fittest or most active person in the world and he definitely didn't use his muscles this specific way often enough that he wasn't not going to be sore either tonight or tomorrow. It was a good thing they were still on break so he could spend the day under a heated blanket for his poor, aching muscles and joints.

Angelica was laughing with Sam and Nat as she was skating. She was all bundled up in her jacket and scarf, face half buried in the fabric. Her radiant smile could be seen all the same as it lit up her eyes and face. The scene looked like something out of a Hallmark movie with the sunlight on the ice and the frost on the trees. Warmth spread through his chest as he stood there watching, hands sunk into his jacket pockets.

They didn't have much family in the area that he was close enough to that they'd spend holidays together. Sure, they'd see each other for dinners on occasion but not regularly. Maybe a wedding or graduation on an odd year. And with his job in the past, they hadn't been able to travel to see the family he was close with since Angelica was very young. That's mainly why he relied so heavily on his daughter's friends and their neighbors. He wanted her to have a semblance of family around her. People who loved her and would be there for her achievements.

It was good for Angelica to have a more solid family. Each person around her had different experiences and lessons to give her. Different views would give her a balanced and unique environment. And if he were honest, Y/N was glad to have found a place among that family, too. Sure, they weren't blood, but not all family was blood.

And not all blood deserved to be family.

He sighed. Every so often, her mother would try to make contact. But the note she left when she'd walked out on them made it very clear she wanted nothing to do with their daughter. Usually, he quoted her own words from the letter (which was in a special documents folder along with Angelica's social security card and birth certificate) and that was enough to discourage her. But recently she was being more stubborn about it.

Persistent messages and phone calls. Emails. Hell, he even got a physical letter delivered to him the other day. She still told the same bullshit story that he knew all too well and by now, he just ignored it. But it didn't mean he wasn't drained from the constant reminder of one of the worst days of his life. He jammed the toe pick into the ice idly, lost in thought.

"Papa!" Angelica's voice cut through and he looked up. She was skating toward him, albeit a little unsteadily, with a bright smile on her face. She stumbled, holding her hands out in case she fell, but recovered quickly. "You gonna come out more?"

"What, you want me to say I'm gay?" Y/N joked, pushing off to meet her halfway. "Surprise."

"Not much of a surprise." Natasha circled behind Y/N, casually crossing one foot over the other to turn toward the group again once she slowed. Her hands were in her jacket pockets, completely confident in her abilities. Damn her for being so effortless with nearly everything she did. "It's a little obvious."

"She's right, you know," Sam said, making a full stop behind Angelica. It sprayed up some ice, making the young girl squeal at the cold. "But maybe I can tell just because I'm bi."

"No, no. It's just obvious." Natasha used her toe pick to push herself back slightly, then pull herself forward again. She had that smirk on her face that meant she was never going to fully admit what she was talking about, only using it as fuel to tease someone. He'd learned to read that smirk well and hated when it was turned on him rather than watching her continuously tease and harass Clint or Steve.

"I feel like I've missed something." Angelica narrowed her eyes, looking between the adults with the same adorable scrutiny she gave a particularly difficult math problem. Sam and Nat laughed.

"Okay, so you asked me if I was going to come out more. Coming out is a term used when someone discloses their gender or sexuality other than straight or what they were assigned at birth." Y/N explained. "So I asked if you wanted me to say I was gay because that would be me technically coming out more than I already was, even if it's not entirely correct."

"Oooh." Angelica nodded for a few seconds. "I still don't get it."

Sam nearly fell on his ass with laughter, flailing to keep his balance. Nat reached out to steady him, making sure he didn't actually fall while she giggled.

"You know what?" Y/N sighed in defeat, placing his hands on his hips in the typical Dad Pose. "Sometimes I think you're just bullshitting me."

"Papa!" Angelica gasped in fake offense, even going so far as to put her hand against her chest like a woman from one of those historical novels that fainted at even the slightest inconvenience. She'd recently taken on some characteristics from Elizabeth Swann after watching the films, which lined up well with her theatrics.

"You've got a mouth on you today, huh?" Nat teased. He did try to keep his swearing to a minimum around his kid, but she understood what words were okay for her to use and not to use. And given certain circumstances (and proper usage), he'd be lenient if she swore.

"Wait, what did you mean by it's just obvious ? Usually, people are shocked when I tell them I'm into guys, too." Y/N turned to Natasha, curious about what she'd say. She was highly trained, which went unsaid even among the team, and things she noticed were never quite obvious to others. But then again, sometimes it was the simple things that gave people away.

"Oh. Yeah, it's obvious by the way you stare at him." She raised a brow with that damn smirk, waiting for her words to fully sink in. The unspoken name hung heavy in the air, the implication even louder in the momentary silence.

"Who's staring at who?" Bucky's voice made Y/N jump and lose balance. Strong hands grabbed his waist as he fell backward, bumping into an equally as strong chest. Bucky chuckled, the sound rumbling against his back. "Sorry, darlin'. Didn't mean to scare you."

Y/N straightened up, face burning. Once he was steady on his feet and not at risk of falling on his face or his ass, Bucky let go and slid to stand by his side. This was not a conversation he wanted Bucky to overhear and it certainly wasn't one he wanted to have with Bucky. Hell, he didn't even want to have it with Sam and Natasha, especially in front of his kid. She could keep a secret, but only if it was good for leverage or blackmail.

Angelica had a great start at espionage and he wasn't prepared for the nuisance and problem this could become in her middle school and high school years.

"Y'okay, Y/N?" Sam asked, eyes flickering between Y/N and Bucky with a mischievous smile. He looked like he wanted to continue poking fun at him for his reaction or say something that would entirely give away what they were actually talking about. It seemed like Bucky had skated up just in time to only hear the last three words of Natasha's sentence, which was a miracle of the divine kind.

"Yeah, yeah. Just lost my balance and nearly had a heart attack, but I'm good." He gave Sam a pointed look as if he were saying shut the fuck up or I'll kill you . It must've translated because Sam held his hands up in surrender and kept his mouth shut.

"Papa, you never answered my question." Angelica pouted, drawing attention back to her.

"What was it?"

"Are you coming out more or are you gonna be a coward?" She challenged with her trademark shit-eating grin.

"Oh, you better run, you little gremlin," Y/N growled, starting to chase after his daughter. She squealed with laughter, barely staying in front of him as they raced across the ice.

Bucky, Sam, and Natasha watched them, all with bright grins on their faces.

"So, how long do you think it'll be until one of them eats shit?" Sam asked, folding his arms across his chest.

"I give it about thirty seconds," Bucky replied.

And thirty seconds later, a distant ah, shit could be heard as Y/N L/N tripped up on his toe pick and very gracefully hit the ice.

✿°•∘ɷ∘•°✿ ... ✿°•∘ɷ∘•°✿ ... ✿°•∘ɷ∘•°✿

Y/N straightened his jacket one last time. Tonight, he was taking his daughter to see the Nutcracker that was playing in a local college's theater, like it did every year. It was always put on by the same dance studio, in part with a few of the smaller ones. And every single year, it was wonderful.

"Bucky will be right down. He lost his right shoe and needed a second to find it." Steve shook his head, folding his arms across his chest as he leaned in the doorway. "Thank you, Y/N, for doing this. He probably won't say it, but it means a lot to him."

"Of course," Y/N replied. "Didn't want him to miss out and certainly didn't want to make him go alone."

"I appreciate it because as much as I love him, I can't sit through the Nutcracker anymore," Steve said with a grimace. "And as I said before, the holiday season is harder for him. This will be good for him. Every other time he's tried to see the show, something came up."

"Maybe it was fate." Y/N joked with a smile.

"Maybe it was. Have fun, you guys. I'm being dragged into a second viewing of the live-action Grinch with Sam, Clint, Wanda, and Nat. Did you know that they can pretty much quote that movie word for word?"

"Don't act like you can't, either." Bucky appeared behind Steve, tucking a stray strand of hair behind his ear. "Sorry for taking so long. Couldn't find my damn shoe and I believe it was Sam's fault, but I'm not certain."

"It's all good. Steve was just explaining that you've tried to see the show before but the universe stopped it from happening." Y/N subtly glanced him over. He looked...good in his formal wear. Unfairly good. If he were an artist, he would never be able to stop drawing the way Bucky looked right now as he stood with his hands in his pockets, his weight dropped onto one leg.

"Yeah, it's never worked out. But I'm happy it has so far. Knock on wood." He rapped his knuckles on the door frame with a crooked smile. "Where's the kiddo?"

"Getting her hair finished by the girls. She'll be here in just a second." Y/N glanced down the hallway to see if he could catch a glimpse of his daughter to estimate exactly how long it would take. He was hoping it wasn't much longer because they needed to leave soon.

"Have fun, guys." Steve pat Bucky's shoulder before leaving the doorframe back the way he came.

"Y/N, thank you for this. Genuinely. How much do I owe you for the ticket?" Bucky slid his wallet from his pocket, opening it and thumbing through some cash.

"No, don't worry about it. Consider it a gift from us to you." Y/N held his hand up, shaking his head slightly. "Seriously. And don't argue with me on this one. Just accept it as a gift."

Bucky stared at him for a moment, wide-eyed. He opened his mouth to say something - presumably argue some more because that was Bucky, Y'N had learned, but they were both interrupted by a young voice.

"Papa, how do I look?" Angelica swayed from side to side, the sparkles on her blue dress catching in the light. Her hair was intricately put up with some jeweled spiral clips. She even had a little bit of makeup on, which was completely age-appropriate.

"Stunning, like a little snowflake." He replied, smiling just as broadly as she was. She giggled and bounced on the balls of her feet, the slight heel of her shoes clicking on the ground. He held his hand out to her and twirled her under his arm. "You ready?"

"Mhmm!"

Y/N turned to Bucky, happy to see he'd put his wallet away, and, perhaps begrudgingly, accepted that this was a gift and not necessary to be repaid. He was smiling at Angelica, watching her as she twirled again to look at her gown in the light. There was a sad nostalgia lingering behind it all and for a moment, he wanted to say that Bucky didn't have to go with them if he didn't feel up to it.

But then Angelica went up to him, took his hands, and tried to dance with him. The melancholic look in his eyes faded as he led her into a simple waltz, humming a basic tune. Instead, the corners of his eyes crinkled up with a smile as she giggled, spinning under his arm. He pulled her hands together and gently dipped her, his smile somehow getting bigger as she squealed and clung to him.

"I won't drop you, sweetheart. Promise." He said before pulling her upright.

Y/N's heart skipped a beat as he watched, smiling just as wide as Bucky and Angelica. He wished he could show every single person who still viewed him as a threat or villain this exact moment between his daughter and Bucky. There wasn't even a singular thought of concern that Bucky could hurt her on purpose and he desperately hoped people would begin to realize that. He wasn't "evil" or a villain. He was a victim that was still healing and learning how to be himself again.

He slipped his phone from his pocket and took a few photos, making sure to keep the live option on. His favorite was a perfectly timed moment as she was spinning under his left arm, looking back at him with that impossibly wide grin, and her dress flared out. He was smiling, too, and it was obvious in the still image that he was laughing. It was a delightful picture that would certainly become his lock screen for a while.

"Alright, you two. Let's get going so we don't risk missing any of the show." Y/N hated to interrupt, but there was always time for them to dance another day. They had a show to get to and he'd rather be damned than be the reason Bucky missed on another opportunity to see The Nutcracker.

They split apart and Bucky bowed to Angelica, who giggled and curtsied in response. She turned and bounced toward the door, a little ball of sunshine to warm the snowy evening.

"Send those photos to me, please?" Bucky muttered, walking side by side with Y/N.

"Already sent 'em."

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The wind blew a chill straight up Y/N's spine, creeping under the layers of his jacket and shirt. The bell above the door chimed as he opened it, ushering his child into the shop before another gust could pick up. He shut the door behind him, shivering and stomping the snow off his shoes. Winter was a bullshit season because of the cold and wind. Once his feet and legs were cold, it was all over. He'd take forever to get warm again.

"Well, if it's not my two favorite customers in the whole wide world!" Pop waved as he noticed them, chuckling as Angelica waved enthusiastically back. She bounced over to the display case, looking at the new flavors and their descriptions. That was one of the best things about Pop's Shoppe and their homemade ice cream - they rotated new flavors depending on the season and everyone had their favorite that they looked forward to every year.

"Is that Angelica and Y/N?" A woman's voice came from the back room before she poked her head out to see. "Yes, it is! How have you two been, my lovely honeybees?"

"Leana!" Angelica ran up to Leana and hugged her when she came around the counter. "You're back!"

"Sure am, honeybee." Leana had a deep set of crow's feet at the corner of her eyes from a life of laughter and joys that revealed themselves in full when she smiled. She looked well, which was a good sign given how sick she'd been. She'd been out since the beginning of fall and although they didn't have any doubts she'd recover, they'd been concerned. "You been good for your father, I trust?"

"Mhmm!"

"She's lying. She's been nothing but trouble, causing mischief and being a nuisance." Y/N hugged Leana, chuckling when she squeezed him. "Though she is just an accomplice most of the time."

"Oh, is she now?" Pop leaned against the counter, looking at the girl in question. She gave him her mischievous grin, shrugging like she was innocent in the matter. "So, what can I get you on this cold day?"

"Whatever she wants. It's too cold to eat ice cream for me." Y/N placed his hand on the top of his daughter's head for a moment before shoving his hands into his pockets. "And I know we promised to bring Bucky along today but they had a mission come up last night and had to leave. Next time."

"Ahh, no hard feelings. He's welcome here whenever he's able to fit us in his world-saving schedule." Pop moved to get Angelica's usual order, slipping his gloves on and snagging the cup on the way to get the scoop.

"Bucky, huh? Who's Bucky?" Leana asked, leaning against the counter. She brushed a couple of stray braids over her shoulder. Her braids matched the color of her holiday apron, red braided into the grey of her natural hair. Angelica's favorite was the sunset yellow she liked to wear in the summer, sometimes with little bee and flower clips.

"James Buchanan Barnes. A coworker and friend. He's -"

"The Winter Soldier, yes, I know the name. I've been around for a while, honeybee." Leana interrupted, suddenly looking her age for a moment. "Never sat right with me how he got his citizenship back."

"What?" Y/N was hesitant to continue the conversation, now, with Angelica in earshot. Though, it seemed Pop was keeping her occupied well enough that she wasn't paying attention.

"Oh, that came out wrong. I meant the whole trial he had to go through to prove he was a prisoner of war and under duress. Ridiculous, really." She continued, shaking her head. It wasn't talked about often within the team or the compound, but the amnesty trial had been a big deal. A year later, Bucky seemed to have moved past it with some work but some people still hung onto it.

"Yeah, I...didn't really pay attention to it. Only when it landed on my desk when his lawyer needed information and it was my turn to dig." Y/N said. He hadn't worked on it often, maybe once or twice under Miss Lancaster's legal team. Not often enough to know more than the general public and not enough to draw his attention away. Even his coworkers kept it out of the office talk just because it was a touchy subject.

And totally not because everyone was scared of him.

"How's he doing, now, though?"

"Recovering, but doing well. Has some off days, but everyone does. We took him to see the Nutcracker last week and while there was some sadness, he had a good time." Y/N pulled his wallet out to pay for Angelica's ice cream now that she was seated happily with a snickerdoodle-flavored scoop.

"Tell me, what d'you think Bucky would like from the case? I'll get you a to-go container for when he's back. Consider it a present from us to him." Pop smiled, his nose and cheeks rosier with the added chill of the winter weather. He had a Santa hat on, really playing up on his resemblance.

"Oh, uh...that's a good question. I think the vanilla with caramel and cone pieces would be a safe option. I know he likes caramel." Y/N said, handing over his card to Leana to pay for the ice cream. She only charged him for Angelica's, fixing him with a stern look to deter any kind of arguing. This was why he always came back to them, even though it was further than other shops. They treated everyone like family and did favors for their loyal customers. And they were local, so it was a perfect relationship.

"Angelica, you almost finished? We need to get back soon. I've got to check in with Steve and Bucky to see if they need anything and you have homework." The adults laughed as she groaned, throwing away her empty container and spoon. "Thanks, you two. Take care. We'll see you next week."

"Bye, Pop! Bye, Leana!" Angelica waved from the door, bundling herself up again in preparation to brave the outside.

"See ya, honeybee. And hopefully, we see Bucky with you, soon. Drive safe and stay warm." Leana said with a sweet smile.

Pop handed Y/N the container, a note written on the top with his and Leana's signatures.

To Bucky,

Happy Holidays from Us at Pop's Shoppe. Hope to see you stop by soon!

Pop & Leana ♡

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"I love my kid, but it's too cold for this," Y/N grumbled, blowing warm air into his cupped, gloved hands.

"You'd be warmer if you moved around more." Natasha elbowed him, smiling as she watched the chaos unfold in front of them.

Tony and Peter were constructing a snow fort in preparation for all-out snowball warfare. Scott, Angelica, and Cassie were also constructing a fort across from the Team IronSpider base. It wasn't as pretty or optimized as theirs, but it was going to be functional for the insanity that was going to unleash when they were ready.

"Yeah, but that would also mean getting involved in that ." Y/N hitched his chin toward Team SuperWeird, comprised of Bucky, Steve, and Wanda. Unfair in his eyes, but that's just how the cards were dealt. "There's a reason I'm playing as an impartial judge with Bruce."

"Fair enough. Well, I better help those two. They need all the help they can get." She joined Clint and Sam at their base.

The sun was warm but didn't do much to combat the overall chill of the day. But it was perfect for a snowball fight, including the sticky snow that would make the ideal snowball. Bruce also had his hands buried in his pockets, his face tucked into his scarf to try and keep warm. It was a universal day off for everyone in the compound, which meant he wasn't allowed to be tucked away in his lab.

Thor and Loki had come to visit with Valkyrie, enjoying some downtime with the team for a couple of days. Thor and Valkyrie were happily constructing their own fort and stockpiling snowball ammunition for the fight. Loki was standing beside Y/N and Bruce with his arms folded, shaking his head in mild amusement.

"I don't believe I'll ever quite understand Midgaurdians." He said after a moment of thought. "But they are entertaining."

"We certainly are, huh?" Y/N smiled as his daughter squealed after Peter had snuck over and shoved snow on her neck. "You don't want to join?"

"No, no. I'm quite alright just watching for now." Loki wasn't exactly what he'd expected based on stories. He seemed to have mellowed out a bit and had some time to reflect on past mistakes. Or perhaps the events of Ragnarok had a strong effect on him. Whatever the case was, he was rather pleasant to be around, now. "It's not quite fair for me to join in, considering I'm immune to the cold."

"Ah. Yeah, that is an unfair advantage." Y/N shuffled his feet a bit, hoping to keep his toes from freezing by standing in the same place for too long. Although he was wearing multiple layers, the cold still crept in where it could. "You think they'd notice if I slipped away to get a warm drink?"

"Yes. They would. You wouldn't get three feet until Tony called you out." Bruce said.

"Well, it's a good thing I've come to deliver some warm cider." Pepper appeared beside them with a tray of thermoses. "Here you go."

"You're a lifesaver, Pepper." Y/N gratefully accepted one, the warmth spreading through his fingers and down his arms immediately. He took a tentative sip, considering it was still very hot, and hummed happily as the heat trickled through his chest.

"And one for you, Bruce." She passed another one to Bruce, earning the same praises. "Would you like one, Loki?"

"No, thank you, Miss Potts." Loki smiled, looking rather fond for a brief moment.

"It's actually Stark, now." She corrected, returning the smile.

"Oh, my apologies, Missus Stark. Congratulations." He inclined his head cordially.

"Thank you. But really, just call me Pepper. There's no need to be so formal." She touched his arm gently like she did often with everyone, a friendly and comforting gesture she was known for. "If you three need anything, just text me, alright?"

"Of course, Pepper. Thanks again. I'll take videos of Tony getting his ass handed to him by Steve later." Bruce said from behind the rim of his thermos. And with that, she was making her way back inside, away from the snow and cold.

Y/N was jealous, but now he had a warm drink so he was at least placated for the moment. He checked the time on his phone. There were thirty seconds left on his timer for their allotted fortress building time. After that, they'd have two minutes to prepare their ammunition before the first round of battle would begin. The timer chimed loudly and everyone immediately stopped piling snow and started creating snowballs of varying sizes and shapes.

"Of the current competitors, who do you believe will be the best?" Loki asked, crossing his arms.

"Bucky's been trained as a sniper, but Clint has insane accuracy. Wanda has her abilities and Steve has enough spite to be good at just about anything." Bruce tilted his head in thought, watching everyone frantically stockpile ammo. "Sam and Scott are at a disadvantage, but will probably be good in their team. Tony and Peter work together a little too well, not to mention Peter's enhanced senses."

"So, what you're saying is that my kid and Cassie are going to get absolutely demolished by the superheroes around them." Y/N laughed, knowing all too well how this was going to go. It's mainly why he was staying on the sidelines and avoiding the conflict.

"Oh, totally. That's exactly what's going to happen and it's going to be glorious." Bruce grinned before burrowing back into his scarf. The second timer went off and everyone came to a halt. "Alright, everyone. The round begins in three...two...one...go!"

Snow flew immediately, headed in every which direction. Laughter rang into the air, along with some cussing when people were hit. They were good about not getting close to the bystanders, some landing just at their feet but never hitting them. It was entertaining to watch the different strategies each team had, though most of it seemed to just be sheer chaos. Firing wherever in hopes it hit someone.

"You're going down, Romanoff!" Wanda shouted just before a snowball went flying at Natasha, propelled by her powers.

"In your dreams, Maximoff!" Natasha yelled back after barely dodging the projectile before throwing her own. It nailed Wanda straight in the chest faster than she could blink.

A stray snowball came flying by, hitting Loki square in the stomach. He doubled over slightly, the wind knocked out of him for a moment. Murderous intent took over his eyes as he scanned the field, trying to decide who had thrown it. Valkyrie was snickering behind her hand and noticed she'd drawn his attention. With a determined roll of his shoulders, Loki joined Tony and Peter, set on revenge.

Y/N glanced at his daughter, who was grinning to herself deviously. She'd done that on purpose and somehow flew under the radar to avoid all suspicion. That little devil was too smart for her own good and he had no idea how he was going to stay ahead of her as she got older.

For now, he just shook his head and sipped his warm cider as everyone continued to pelt each other with snowballs.

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"I am not letting you have alcohol. Are you out of your mind?" Y/N stared at Angelica in bewilderment, holding his glass of champagne out of her reach. "You have some audacity, little miss."

"Aw, come on! Just a little sip?" She tried to give him her puppy dog eyes, but he wasn't budging. "Just a teeny, tiny, itty bitty sip?"

"You're lucky I'm letting you stay up, Angelica. I can still send you to bed. Don't test me." He replied, using the opportunity to also take a slow sip of his champagne. She pouted, glaring at him disappointedly.

Tony had forgone the large New Year's party that he usually hosted, choosing instead to keep it rather small with the team and their families. That didn't mean he didn't keep the extravagance down, considering this was the most expensive champagne Y/N had ever tasted. The decorations were certainly flashy, golds and silvers reflecting every light in the common room. The countdown was on the TV, muted so their own music could play.

"Maybe, if you're good, I'll let you have a sip next year," He said, eyeing her suspiciously when she got a little too excited about that. "No promises."

Angelica continued to grin far too wide for his liking before bouncing off into the crowd to find Peter and May. He shook his head, watching her as she disappeared into the kitchen. She was always a handful, but sometimes she seemed especially difficult to deal with. He loved her dearly, though, and it made moments like this more endearing than annoying.

"She reminds me of myself when I was young." Wanda came up beside Y/N. She was wearing a nice black gown, rather simple in terms of attire Tony required, but it suited her well. Especially with the fabric fading into a bright red near her knees and the beading around the waist. "Too smart for her own good and always looking for trouble."

"I can hardly believe you were looking for trouble," Y/N said in a warm tone. He could believe it, but he was teasing her.

"Well, I wasn't usually the one looking for it. My brother, Pietro, was usually always finding himself in trouble. I was always getting him out of it." She laughed softly, eyes crinkled and light with fond memories. She missed him, he knew. His memory lived on through her, though, and all she did with the Avengers. With Tony's recovery foundation, he started an outreach program specifically for those affected by what happened in Sokovia and named it after Pietro. "Vis likes her a lot."

"Seems to be a common feeling with everyone," Y/N replied, giving her a brief side-hug. Her nose crinkled up happily, squeezing him back with her free arm. "How's your training going?"

"Oh, it's...going. Tiring, but Stephen is pleased with my progress. There's so much I didn't know I could do that he's taught me to control." Wanda, as if to show how much she'd learned, raised her hand and swirled some of the red mist around her fingers. It morphed into a little kitten that bounded across her knuckles, swatting at an equally tiny butterfly. It jumped to catch it, succeeding, and they both disappeared in a flourish.

"That was delightful." Y/N applauded her, laughing as she curtsied. "It's always nice to catch up with you."

"And you, too. Let's talk more often. Well, seems the countdown is going to begin shortly. I need to find Vis." She untangled herself from Y/N, but not before kissing him on the cheek.

Tony called everyone to gather around the TV with their glasses of champagne and their partners. The couples stood together and those who were single ended up grouping near the opposite side. Peter had Angelica in his arms, a glass of sparkling cider held carefully in one of his hands.

Sam, Bucky, YN, and May stood together. Clint was currently MIA due to a sudden mission, which he'd been completely fine with. This wasn't his favorite holiday in the world and he preferred to be making money somewhere else. The countdown began on the TV, the sound returning at the perfect moment thanks to FRIDAY. Everyone waited, counting with it as the new year finally turned over.

The room filled with cheers and the couples shared a customary kiss. May hugged Y/N immediately before moving to Bucky and Sam.

"Happy New Year," Sam hugged Y/N tightly, leaving a kiss on his cheek before he pulled away. He turned to Bucky.

"Don't kiss me or I'll kick your ass." Bucky threatened, accepting Sam's hug. Sam was grinning and tried to kiss Bucky's cheek, only to be met with the palm of his metal hand turning him away.

Y/N laughed, careful not to spill any of his drink as he embraced Bucky. It was immediately a comfort, enveloping him entirely in his arms. His cologne was soft and musky but by no means overpowering or too strong. Bucky swayed them slightly before pressing a quick kiss to his cheek.

"Happy New Year, darlin'." He muttered as he pulled away. His smile was dazzling and if not for Angelica suddenly hugging his leg, Y/N probably would've kept staring for much longer.

"Papa!" Angelica looked up at him and there was a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "Can I have a sip?"

Y/N was about to berate her for asking again when he paused and realized what was going on. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. The others were laughing brightly and he shook his head.

"You little shit."

Angelica looked triumphant as she took her sip of champagne.

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Bucky squinted at the back of the beer bottle, reading the ingredients. It honestly wasn't the best he'd ever had, but there was just a flavor he couldn't quite place. He shrugged and took another swig, not bothering to spend much longer thinking about it.

Sam groaned as he sat down on the couch, his own bottle in his hand. He sighed deeply, slouching down to get comfortable. He'd taken to hanging out with Bucky more now that Steve and Natasha were dating. It was nothing against either of them, considering they still had their Guys' Nights often. Usually, in their free time, the couple was together. Which left Sam and Bucky most evenings.

"I'm tired." Sam sighed, head falling back against the couch. "You feel me?"

"I feel you," Bucky replied. "I've been tired since 1927."

"That's oddly specific. What happened in '27?" Sam took a quick drink, having learned the Bucky's off-the-cuff comments sometimes took him by surprise. He had shot beer out his nose a couple of times because of that.

"Met Steve that year. Been running behind him, keeping him out of trouble since then." He stared into the distance, slowly bringing his bottle up.

"It's a full-time job, huh?" Sam raised his bottle again too.

"Amen to that." They cheered to each other from a distance before downing the rest of their beer. Bucky turned the bottle again to look at the label. "The hell is in this?"

"It's really bad, is what it is. Steve's no longer allowed to shop for booze." Sam leaned forward and set the glass bottle down on the coffee table. He settled back into the couch. "Alright, we gotta talk."

"About?" Bucky rested his head on the back of the couch, letting it fall to the side to look at Sam. He had a feeling what this was going to lead to, but he didn't have the energy to shut it down. He actually wanted to talk about it, if he were honest.

"Y/N. You. The kiss." Sam paused between each subject, letting them hang in the air and sink in. "You kissed him in front of everyone. So, what's the deal, now? You two on the down low?"

"No, not...no. We didn't talk about it. It was just a kiss and didn't mean anything." As much as he hated to say it, that's exactly what the situation was. He hadn't brought it up to Y/N and they'd not discussed it at all. And he hadn't acted any different afterward so he had no reason to believe that it affected their friendship any further than a moment to look back at and laugh about.

"How the hell did you ever make it as a spy when you're such a bad liar?" Sam stared at him incredulously.

"I wasn't allowed to talk," Bucky muttered, which gained a short bark of laughter. He smiled briefly.

"I'm gonna say this so no one else has to," Sam sat up, looking Bucky straight on. It sent a shock of nerves down his spine with how serious he suddenly was. "And I'm saying this because you're my brother, man. You need to talk to him. Give him a chance to say yes or no. Say you're interested."

"I don't wanna make it awkward. He's on the team and it's not exactly like we can just...distance from each other. His daughter is kinda my mini shadow half the time." Bucky turned away with a sigh, staring at the wall. He wanted to say something so bad, but the thought of causing tension in their close-knit team was enough to deter him. That kiss under the mistletoe at the party only deepened his feelings and settled them strongly in his heart. It was hard not to give in when away from the prying eyes of the rest of the world. "I don't even know if he feels the same way."

"James, listen to me. You will never know if you don't try. He and Kiera Roberts were rumored to be a thing and he cleared it up with her. She watched after Angelica when you were out of commission after that mission in Rome." Sam had that tone in his voice that he used when counseling veterans. The same one he used when helping any of the team through a panic attack or episode of some sort. "Give it a chance. Do something that it's just the two of you and see if he responds in a way that says he'd be interested. Then ask him to dinner."

"Nope. No way in hell."

"I'm only going to keep bringing it up until you do. Every day, every moment possible." Sam threatened.

"God, you're annoying." Bucky rubbed his hand over his face with a sigh. He was blushing just thinking about it.

"It's why you love me."

"Okay, okay. Fine. After the security meeting and we're back here...I'll do it." Bucky glared at Sam, finding he was smiling smugly. He looked like he was going to say something inappropriate or suggestive at any moment now that the serious conversation was over. "Not a word, Wilson. I'll still kick you off a damn helicarrier."

"I didn't say anything!"

"You were thinking it and that's bad enough!"

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"Okay, so remind me what this is about again?" Wanda turned in her seat to look at the other occupants of the box, flipping through the program she was holding.

"Orpheus and Eurydice except it's set in a Great Depression-like era and the music has a strong basis in New Orleans style jazz," Y/N said, glancing over the cast list as he turned the page in his own program. "The band is usually onstage the whole time and highlighted a couple of times."

"Not to be rude to you guys." Sam interrupted, motioning to Steve, Bucky, Natasha, and their other light-skinned teammates in attendance. "But why is Hermes being played by a white guy?"

"I thought the same thing!" Clint threw his hands up in exasperation.

"Alright, you two. Chill out. He's got a mile-long portfolio in his bio. Give him a chance." Y/N shook his head in amusement. He'd heard this Hermes perform in videos and while he wasn't Andre De Shields, he did a damn good job. "He's also from New Orleans, Wilson."

"All I'm sayin' is I've never heard of him," Sam grumbled a little more about the casting of the tour but settled down again after a minute.

Some of the team had time after a security conference in D.C. to see Hadestown and do other touristy things. Sam, Clint, and Y/N had convinced the rest of their small group to join them at the show, saying that they would enjoy it. With nothing else to do and no reason to argue, Steve, Natasha, Wanda, and Bucky joined them to see the touring company.

Angelica had not been happy when she'd heard they were seeing the show without her. In fact, promising to take her to see it on Broadway was the only way to get her to speak to anyone other than Peter for four days. She was a stubborn child who knew how to use that to her advantage when she really wanted it. He didn't feel bad about giving in because he'd wanted to see the show with her in the first place, but the opportunity to see it on tour happened before they got the chance.

The lights started to dim as the cast and orchestra walked out. Everyone checked to be sure their phones were off. The cast settled in their places and Hermes clicked his heels at the edge of the stage, gazing out over the crowd. He took a deep breath, clasping his hands together with a smile.

"Aight."

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Sam turned around at intermission with an embarrassed smile.

"Is there something you would like to say, Samuel?" Y/N tilted his head innocently as the house filled with chatter, the lights still slowly coming up.

"I would like to recant my statement about this particular white man playing Hermes," Sam announced to the group. It sparked some laughter and he waited for another moment to continue. "He opened his mouth and I realized my mistake. I apologize. I was wrong."

"Yeah, he's good." Clint sighed, a bit begrudgingly. "But that Persephone-"

"I know !" Sam and Clint quickly fell into a discussion over the actress playing Persephone, singing nothing but praises for her and admiring the dynamic between her and Hades. Natasha chimed in when she found it necessary, mentioning something about the Fates.

Steve and Wanda were looking at the stage, talking about the lighting and how it had affected the scenes. Set design came up shortly after, and they delved into the moving parts and pieces of the two-story structure and rotating stage.

"Remind me again what the myth is?" Bucky leaned over to ask Y/N since the rest of their companions were occupied. "The details escape me."

"We're halfway through so it'll get to the main part of the myth in the next act," He replied, checking his phone for notifications. His daughter had sent a goodnight text, which he responded to with a picture of Wanda and Steve geeking out over the stage design. "But the basics are: Orpheus lost Eurydice and ventured into the Underworld to bring her back. He has to convince Hades and Persephone to let her go. Upon an agreement, they leave together but Orpheus cannot look behind him or she'll be dragged back to the Underworld for the rest of eternity."

"And he looks behind him. I remember now. I'm interested to see how they play this out. By the way, the music is so damn good." Bucky said, which made Y/N laugh. "Seriously, it's a great show so far."

Y/N turned to him and it was like time stopped for that moment. Bucky had that crooked smile that made his heart flutter, his eyes soft and crinkled up at the corners. He glanced between the rest of the group and the intel specialist, amused by the enthusiasm and different topics everyone focused on. But when he finally turned his gaze entirely on Y/N, it felt like the entire world had disappeared.

As a group, they had decided to dress up a little. Nothing too fancy, but on the edge of more than casual. And he looked good in his dark long-sleeved shirt and blazer. The jacket had been a gift from Sharon Carter as a way to welcome him back into the good graces of the CIA. It fit him very well, showing off his wide shoulders and broad chest. Those dark jeans, too, had to be illegal somewhere because of how tightly they hugged his strong thighs.

"Y/N? Didja hear me?" Bucky was talking and that snapped him out of his trance.

"Sorry, sorry. I'm a little tired. Got lost in thought for a second." Y/N covered, sheepishly ducking his head to hide any blush that could possibly be seen. His face was certainly warm. "What'd you say?"

"I asked if you had a favorite song." Bucky didn't make him feel any more embarrassed, luckily, sliding past it like it was nothing. The question made him pause for a second, head tilted in thought.

"I prefer the live album's version of it, but Epic III will always be in my top three. How Long and His Kiss, the Riot are up there as well. Our Lady of the Underground is number two, though." Y/N rambled, tucking his phone away. He liked a lot of the music in the second act, but the whole show was incredible. It was impossible not to nod his head or tap his foot when any of the songs came on when he was working. "But I have a question for you, now."

"What's up?"

"How hard is it to make you cry?"

"Uh, pretty difficult. But what will get me, without fail, is a repeated motif that is either now sad when it was happy before or a call and response that is now just a call or response." Bucky responded.

"Oh, hon. You might want to have some of Wanda's tissues." Y/N grinned both in sympathy and anticipation. A perfect victim for this show, it seemed, as that was the driving stake through the heart about the ending.

"Steve is gonna need them way more than I will," Bucky said as the orchestra returned to the stage.

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"It's you - it's me. What the fuck , Y/N?" Steve turned around after the final bows, tears streaming down his face. His language shocked everyone for a moment. While he wasn't the cleanest normally, he usually didn't drop a casual fuck. "You didn't say it would be this sad!"

"It's Orpheus and Eurydice! What did you expect?" Y/N retorted, raising his hands in defense. "We tried to warn you!"

Wanda and Natasha were dabbing at their eyes carefully to not smear their makeup any worse than it already was, checking each other and fixing the damage. They were laughing through their tears at Steve's reaction and Wanda offered him a tissue. He took it with more force than necessary, a bit of sass slipping into the movement.

"He's got you there, Stevie." Bucky sniffed, drying his face with his sleeve. He gratefully accepted a tissue from Wanda. "But, man , did they have to do both the repeated It's you, it's me and the opening song?"

"Aw, that's part of the fun, though! Showing it's a loop!" Sam laughed, wiping the final tears from his eyes. "So, on that note of the depressing and soul-crushing ending...anyone want to grab dinner?"

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Y/N watched the fireplace flicker, the warmth of the room comfortable. He curled up under the blanket, finding his place again in his book. There hadn't been a lot of time for him to read during this holiday season, so this quiet evening was the perfect time for a book. He had decided to reread The Princess Bride after their movie night. By now, because of work and life, he was only halfway through.

But really, as much as he wanted to read, he couldn't focus. He wasn't alone in the room and that's what was becoming the distraction. Bucky was also curled up under a blanket further down the couch, scrolling on his phone. The light from the fire illuminated his profile and cast warmth over his face. It had to be a crime of some sort for him to be that attractive when doing nothing. And it wasn't like he was trying , either, which was unfair all on its own.

"Oh, hey. Do you mind if I put on some music? The quiet is just...a little too quiet." Bucky said, breaking the comfortable silence of the room. Everyone else had gone to bed already, some having to get up for a mission quite early, so it was just the two of them. His voice was soft like his intention wasn't to startle him.

"Yeah, go ahead." Y/N nodded, turning back to his book in hopes he hadn't been caught staring for those few seconds. It had almost been perfectly timed that Bucky had looked up just as he'd been staring longer than necessary. He found himself doing that more and more recently. After the Mistletoe Kiss at the party, it was harder to shove away those feelings and keep them under lock and key.

The TV powered on silently, connecting to Bucky's phone and soft music started. The playlist was a collection of some of his favorite 40s music and other songs that either had a similar sound or vibe. It was all fairly mellow and perfect for the atmosphere they had created. Relaxing, warm, and comfortable. A little space out of time that had no expectations or requirements.

Dream a Little Dream of Me queued up next on screen and Bucky stood, holding his hand out to Y/N. It took a moment for him to notice, given he'd actually gotten back into his book for a couple of paragraphs. A soft hey caught his attention and he looked up.

"What?" He narrowed his eyes slightly in suspicion, but couldn't keep his lips from starting to turn upward.

"Come dance with me." He offered with that lopsided smile that made his heart skip a beat. His eyes were glittering with a childlike and mischievous light. "C'mon."

Y/N couldn't find it in himself to say no, especially when he was looking at him with such affection. It took him off guard, truly, but in the best way. He marked his page and set his book aside before taking Bucky's hand. He moved the blanket onto the couch beside him as he stood, careful not to let it get twisted around his foot at first. There was a perfectly sized space in front of the hearth for them to stand with enough room to move without banging their toes on furniture.

Bucky pulled him in, his metal hand settling perfectly on Y/N's waist like it had when they were cooking together. Like it was the most natural thing in the world and that's exactly where his hand was crafted to be laid. His other hand was a gentle guide, pulling him into position. It was larger than his own, nearly engulfing it in its warmth.

"I don't...know what to do, to be honest," Y/N admitted, unsure of pretty much everything. The last time he'd danced with anyone had to have been prom his senior year of high school. Even then, it wasn't any good. Just the awkward sway dancing that teenagers did with their hands around the necks of their partners and hands on their waists at nearly arm's length. But Bucky had danced often in the past and was still a good dancer from what he's seen. He didn't want to disappoint or screw anything up.

"Well, you can put your hand on my shoulder or my upper arm. Don't have to do much with your feet. These slower songs you can just sway and do small steps to turn. I can lead, so just don't worry too much about that. If you want to get closer..." Bucky trailed off, brows raised slightly to fill in the silence and finish the offer.

"Maybe if I can be trusted not to step on your toes," Y/N said, resting his hand on his bicep, finding it somehow fits perfectly. Just like Bucky's hand on his waist. "We'll see. You might just throw me away when you see how bad of a dancer I am."

"This isn't gonna be difficult, I promise. If Steve can do it without stepping on someone, I'm sure you'll be fine." Bucky chuckled, beginning to sway with the beat. Once he had found the tempo, he quietly gave instructions on which foot to step with and counted until they both fell into synch. It was slow and casual and nowhere near perfect regarding technique, but it was perfect for them. There wasn't anyone to impress or perform for. It was just them, the fire, and the music.

This was nice. Pleasant. Y/N had never done anything like this with anyone. He'd never had the opportunity, nor the right partner. No one had ever just asked him to dance in the kitchen or living room to whatever song came on. It was rather intimate, in a way, and sweet with how Bucky held him close, guiding his steps and leading him with silent confidence that was comforting. His thumb was tapping lightly on Y/N's hip to the tempo of each new song so they could seamlessly transition without being off-beat with each other.

"So...getting closer...how would one do that?" Y/N quietly asked after a few songs had gone by and they'd fallen into a natural rhythm. If he was offering to get closer, he'd take the opportunity as it was and hope that it wasn't awkward. He was afraid that they would try and it would make things weird and then it all would be over. He'd rather keep his distance and not take a risk if it meant staying exactly like this.

"Either my shoulder or somewhere between my shoulder blades." Bucky guided Y/N's right hand around his side, gently pulling him closer. He used his foot to nudge his a little to be alternating. It reduced the possibility of stepping on each other. "Whichever you prefer."

Y/N settled his hand on his upper back, right between his shoulder blades, finding that this brought them far closer together than he had expected. But it didn't feel awkward or forced. It was all very natural, which eased any anxiety that he'd had. Under his fingers, Bucky's heart was beating steadily and it was reassuring that they were both comfortable.

Bucky's hand returned to his hip, sliding to the small of his back. He continued to lightly tap his finger to the beat, keeping them on tempo as they adapted to this new position. He brought their clasped hands up and pressed a delicate kiss to the back of Y/N's hand, lingered for a moment as they locked eyes. They glowed with a warmth that rivaled the fireplace, all edges of his face now soft in the flickering light.

Unable to keep eye contact without getting flustered, Y/N turned his head and found it was very easy to rest his cheek against Bucky's chest. He could hear and feel Bucky's voice as he resumed humming along to The Last Time I Saw Paris . It had been a long time since he'd felt this content. Working two jobs initially and raising a kid had been difficult. Then his high-security job at the compound made some more time for his daughter, but the workload was also hard to balance with his personal life. There had always been an underlying feeling of stress in every moment of his downtime, but that was very obviously missing.

The nice thing about Bucky's playlist was that it had music that he'd never heard before. There were the classics and well-known songs included, but there were some he'd never would've found if not for someone who either was really into music from that era or someone who was around when it was popular. A perfect blend of slower songs that were easy to sway to and some upbeat to keep some variety.

"I'm gonna spin you, darlin'. Take a step back for a second." Bucky muttered, shifting his hold on Y/N's hand.

Y/N did, spinning under his arm slowly. A soft smile was resting on Bucky's lips, just as soft as the look in his eyes. Warm adoration. It made his heart skip a beat as he stepped back into place, fitting right in Bucky's arms like a puzzle piece.

"Felt like you were a little jealous of your kiddo when I was dancing with her. Had to treat you just the same." He glanced down to their feet before pausing their steps. "Which means..."

Y/N squeaked in surprise as he was swept sideways, hand shooting up to grip Bucky's shoulder from behind. He was being supported around his waist as he leaned back further. "Bucky! A little more warning would've been nice!"

"I won't drop you, sweetheart." He murmured with a crooked smile and kept him in that pose for a few moments. True to his word, his hold never faltered and never made him think that he'd fall. He leaned in closer. Y/N's breath caught in his throat as Bucky pressed a soft kiss to his temple, lingering for another second as he spoke. "I promise."

Time didn't exist as they stood there like that, the song fading to a close and crossing to the next. They both broke into soft laughter, smiles matching as Bucky pulled Y/N upright. It was all so sweet and perfect, a little world away from the rest of everything.

Bucky kept their entwined hands close to his chest with a contented sigh. He held him nearer, resting his chin on the top of Y/N's head once they'd settled back into their positions. "Y/N?"

"Hm?"

"Would you let me take you out?" He asked, voice soft and timid. His heart was racing beneath his hand and in his ear. "Dinner somewhere or a walk in a park. Nothin' too fancy."

"I...would need to think about it," Y/N admitted, despite the fluttering in his stomach and the way his heart hammered against his chest. He did need to think about it considering the dynamics of the team and how closely they worked. But he wanted to say yes.

"Okay." Bucky breathed a soft sigh of what seemed to be relief. "Take however long you need. I'm not goin' anywhere."

And that is where they left that, choosing to continue dancing in the light of the fireplace. The conversation could be resumed another day when he was ready to provide an answer, but they were both content to hold each other close into the late hours until the playlist started again. For now, they swayed to the sweet voice of Ilene Woods.

So this is love. Mmhm. So this is love.

✿°•∘ɷ∘•°✿ ... ✿°•∘ɷ∘•°✿ ... ✿°•∘ɷ∘•°✿

"They're Playin Our Song"

Dream a Little Dream of Me (Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong)

So This is Love (Ilene Woods, Mike Douglas)

It's Been A Long Long Time (Harry James)

We'll Meet Again (Vera Lynn, Sailors, Soldiers & Airmen)

I Hear a Symphony (Cody Fry)

I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire (The Ink Spots)

L-O-V-E (Nat King Cole)

At Last (Etta James)

La Vie En Rose (Louis Armstrong)

On the Sunny Side of the Street (Frank Sinatra)

Everybody Loves Somebody (Dean Martin)

Down By The Old Mill Stream (New Orleans Footwarmers) - Grandma Recommends (GM)

Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy (Andrews Sisters) - GM

When the Lights Go On Again (Vera Lynn) - GM

Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree (Glenn Miller) - GM

I'll Be Seeing You (Billie Holiday) - GM

As Time Goes By (Billie Holiday) - GM

I'll Never Smile Again (The Ink Spots) - GM

Fly Me To The Moon (Frank Sinatra, Count Basie) - GM

The Last Time I Saw Paris (Johnny Hodges) - GM

Singin' In The Rain (Gene Kelly) - GM

Sunflower (Frank Sinatra)

Asking Around for You (Joe Bonamassa - Nowhere in Particular)

Ma Belle Evangeline (Princess and the Frog)

✿°•∘ɷ∘•°✿ ... ✿°•∘ɷ∘•°✿ ... ✿°•∘ɷ∘•°✿

Taglist-

@supernaturalwintersoldier @shadowolf993 @booty-ass-hoe @fightmemacbeth @myybebe @pastel-boy-sungjae @unsure-username @raspberryyuuki @urs216 @misfortunatem00n @moonbintang @skylions-den @blurredx18 @elliot-damon-2006

#mint ice cream & bubblegum kisses #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x male reader #bucky barnes x single dad reader #bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes fanfic #james buchanan barnes fanfic #james buchanan barnes x reader #james buchanan barnes x male reader #mcu fanfiction #marvel fanfiction

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buckrecs · 1 year

Text

𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙩 𝙛𝙞𝙘 𝙧𝙚𝙘 : 𝘼𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙡

masterlist | monthly fic rec masterlist

FLUFF

Lessons in Love. by @violentdelightsandviolentends

Too Hot, An Arm Cold by @t-lostinworlds

Out of control! by @pomelo-villano

Jacks and Sunshine by @rookthorne (tattoo artist!bucky)

Do You Need Someone? by @drabbles-mc (soldier!reader)

Grandeur by @navybrat817 (florist!bucky)

plum tarts and red carnations by @golden-barnes (florist!bucky)

Mornings Like This by @majestyeverlasting

What Dreams Are Made Of by @navybrat817 (tattoo artist!bucky x baker!reader)

bucky’s day off by @aescapisms

One Simple Touch by @likeahorribledream

Let’s Stay Inside by @writing-for-marvel (dad!bucky)

Operation milkshake, hospital visits and custody of Mr Bear by @golden-barnes (teacher!bucky)

You Bring Me Home by @real-jane

fitting in by @insomniumstella

shy!bucky by @ro-is-struggling

flustered by @lovelybarnes

Grocery Trip by @/lovelybarnes

Angel by @toastedkiwi (UFC Fighter!Bucky x surgeon!bucky)

find sunshine in the rain by @witchywithwhiskey

no shelf control | don’t overdue it by @buckymorelikefuckme (librarian!reader)

Dentist Visits. by @justkending

Five Sweaters to Make You Love Me by @sebbytrash

Took You Long Enough by @matchamunson

Work It Out by @jobean12-blog

backflips by @venusstorm

Crimson Wave by @invisibleanonymousmonsters

Entrapment by @/invisibleanonymousmonsters (shapeshifter!reader)

Champion by @sgtjbuccky (40s!Boxer!Bucky)

Stay With Me by @/sgtbuccky

A Love That Heals by @ @/sgtbuccky

Ballerina by @softlyspector (ballerina!reader)

ANGST

She’s Not Mad by @subwaysurf45

Glutton for Punishment by @bucky-bucky-bucky-bucky

The End by @buckychrist

Best Man by @/navybrat817 (soft dark!bucky)

His Everything by @/likeahorribledream

Redamancy by @world-of-aus

Grip by @pellucid-constellations

Pretense by @themorningsunshine

healing broken hearts by @alisonsfics

Marry You Someday by @mickeyhenrys (40s!bucky)

for the best by @classylo (dilf!bucky)

take cover by @royalsweetteaa (dark!bucky)

Anesthesia by @jobean12-blog

borderline by @sergeantxrogers (film maker!bucky)

I Need Him Like Water by @/pellucid-constellations

SMUT

heartless | 2 by @sinner-as-saint (incubus!bucky)

Occupied by @goodgirlofglory

Ambrosial by @/goodgirlofglory

No One Else Matters by @marvelouslizzie

Slice of Heaven by @softevnstan

Stay The Night by @notroosterbradshaw

attention by @heavysoldat

big question by @ownedbyfictionalwomen

normal routine by @wndalovebot

Aiming to Please by @gayouijaboard

Whatever It Takes by @buckybabesonly (dark!bucky)

Soft Lovin’ by @jamdoughnutmagician (chubby!bucky)

Night Out by @/softlyspector

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welikeimagines-andfandoms · 6 months

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Why I just dream about kissing single dad!bucky in his apartment after listening to him have a cute chat with his son. Also spending the afternoon making bagels and talking about his own dad just with him

#bucky Barnes #single dad #dream #bucky Barnes imagine #bucky Barnes x reader

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buckysimp101 · 2 years

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Love at First Grade (18+) - 1

Single Dad!Bucky Barnes x Single Mom!Reader

chapter warnings: none

a/n: I am so excited to work on this fic. I am a sucker for a good singledad!Bucky fic and to add the teacher!Bucky to it as well? A dream! let me know what you think of this first chapter in the comments! I hope y'all enjoy!

Series Masterlist

“Becca, come on you have to get up,” Bucky whispered as he lightly shook his sleeping, six year old daughter. Becca’s face twisted up in discontent as she attempted to pull her blanket up to prevent having to go to school.

“Sweetheart, don’t make me turn on the lights,” Bucky threatened lightly, not wanting to turn on the lights himself but he needed her to get up. They had to be leaving for school in thirty minutes, he’d already been up for an hour and a half preparing for the day.

Becca groaned at that threat, knowing he’d do just that if it meant she’d finally wake up. She threw her hands over her face and peaked through them, her blue eyes catching his.

Becca was Bucky’s twin with her brown hair and blue eyes, she got way more of his genes that she did her mother’s. A fact that made Dot angry every time any of Bucky’s family brought it up. When Dot walked out on them Becca was two. She hadn’t known her mother long enough to miss her, but Bucky knew that there was a mom shaped hole that he would never be able to fill completely, but he’d be damned if he didn’t try.

“But daddy I don’t wanna go to school,” Becca whispered from behind the safety of her hands, trying not to make eye contact with her dad.

“Why not, Bex? You were all excited about going to first grade last week, what changed your mind?” Bucky asked quietly, trying to find out where his daughters sudden fear of the first grade had come from.

“Because you’re not my teacher,” she whispered, looking down at her hands and avoiding Bucky’s face. His heart dropped. He knew that Becca had been hoping he would be her teacher, but since he was her father that wasn’t going to happen. Their school liked to avoid the “my parent is my teacher” stereotype and placed the kids with other teachers instead.

“I know, sweetheart. But you know who is your teacher?” He responded, smoothing her brown curls as she looked at him with those big blue eyes, shaking her head no. So Bucky whispered, “Uncle Stevie.”

Becca’s eyes grew three sizes and next thing Bucky knew she was throwing off her blanket and running to the closet, “UNCLE STEVIE IS MY TEACHER!?”

Bucky chuckled as he watched Becca’s curls fly around her head wildly as she tried to find “the best outfit for the best teacher EVER!”, though that last statement hurt Bucky just a little bit.

“Alright Bex, calm down. Now. Let me see what you plan on wearing,” he said, his hands on his hips. He didn’t care what Becca wore to school but sometimes she liked to play dress up just a little too much. Becca showed him her outfit and he nodded his head in approval.

“Alright kiddo, I’ve got breakfast ready. Let's go eat real fast then you can get changed, brush your teeth and we’ll be off to see Mr. Rogers.” At that, Becca zoomed past Bucky to the kitchen and he swore he’d never seen a kid eat faster, and he’d had plenty of lunch duties in his day.

As Bucky finished packing their lunches and fixing his togo coffee, he listened to Becca chatter on about how excited she was to be in Uncle Steve's class and how she was scared that she'd forget to call him Mr. Rogers and how many friends she was going to make, the last statement making Bucky chuckle as he shook his head. Becca didn't know a stranger. She made friends everywhere she went. Suffice to say, she got that skill from her mother. The difference? Dot made friends at the drop of a hat, but she was terrible at maintaining those friendships. Bucky was physically pulled out of his thoughts by his six year old tugging at his slacks, "okay daddy! I'm all ready!"

Focusing on Becca, Bucky had to hold back a laugh. While his daughter had managed to put on her clothes correctly, right side out and everything, her hair was a different story. The chestnut curls looked like they hadn't seen a brush in days, and knowing how busy he'd been setting up his classroom and getting ready for the school year, it probably had been that long. "Okay, Becca Bug. We need to fix this hair, now run and grab your brush so we can head out. Daddy can't be late for the first day of school," he said with his hands on his hips trying to put on as serious a face as possible, the action nearly impossible with a giggling six year old running from him. He couldn't help but think, "this is gonna be a long year."

By the time the pair made their way to the school Becca was practically buzzing with excitement. Gone was the shy and somewhat scared six year old he found laying in her bed this morning, Rebecca Dolores Barnes "but you can call me Becca please" had taken her place. The pair didn't make it as early as they normally would today but Bucky had the opportunity to walk Becca to her classroom before returning to his own to greet his students.

Steve Rogers opened his classroom door as he heard the excited tone of Rebecca Barnes approaching. "UNCLE STEVE!! I'm in your class this year!" Becca shouted, practically flinging herself into his arms making Steve and Bucky laugh at her enthusiasm. The two offering a one-armed hug around Becca's small body.

"Remember what I said this morning, Becca- bug," Bucky said somewhat sternly, making sure to look her in the eye. Where her sudden sass came from, Bucky had no clue, because next thing he knew his daughter was rolling her eyes and sighing, "I know daddy, he's Mr. Rogers when I'm in his class and at school."

Steve tried his best to suppress his laugh with a cough. Steve knew where she got her attitude from. It was a perfect (read: deadly) combination of Bucky, Dot and Becca's namesake her Auntie Bex, Bucky's sister. Not him though....she definitely wasn't influenced by her Uncle Steve...not one bit.

Bucky cut his eyes at Steve, trying to get him to realize that he was serious about teaching Becca what she needed to know at school, when he recognized the slow flow of students entering the halls. The first day of first grade had started. Bucky turned to Becca and wrapped his daughter in a hug, "Alright, Becca. Be on your best behavior for Mr. Rogers, learn lots of things, make new friends, I'll see you at lunch. I love you to infinity and beyond, Becca-Bug."

"I love you to the moon and back a kajillion times, daddy!" Becca responded, squeezing her dad tight before kicking her feet to try and get down and enter her classroom. That was Bucky's cue. He gave Steve a final hug before heading to his classroom. As the kids approached, Bucky greeted them and the people dropping them off. Most of the kids were excited to see some of their friends from Kindergarten again, others were already in the process of making new friends. Bucky continued through the line of students and guardians, avoiding the occasional flirting by some of the moms thrown his way, when he reached the final student in line.

She was looking at her feet, suddenly preoccupied by the pink converse on her feet and trying to avoid his eye, her fingers finding interest in picking at the sequins on her pink unicorn shirt. A throat cleared from behind the young girl. Bucky saw black heels first, followed by a black pantsuit, a white blouse and finally a slightly concerned face looking down at the young girl. You bent down to get to her level and whispered something in her ear, the girl looking up at Bucky quickly but promptly turning her face into your shirt. You looked up at him with an apologetic look on your face. Luckily, Bucky knew what to do.

He bent down slowly, and stretched out his hand, "Hi, I'm Mr. Barnes and welcome to the first grade. We've got a lot of fun things we're going to do this year." The little girl poked her head out under your arm, looking at Bucky's outstretched hand as if it might attack her any second. You took that moment to nudge her, nodding your head when she looked at you like she wanted to say something.

The little girl took a deep breath, poking her chest out and thrusting her palm out to meet Bucky's, "My name is Avery Claire L/N, and I am six years old. It is very nice to meet you, thank you," she stated, stumbling over her words a little but when she was done she looked at you, almost for approval. You shook your head at your daughter's silliness. What Bucky didn't know is that Avery had been practicing for days how she wanted to introduce herself, she'd seen her mother do it a million times and she wanted to get it just right.

"Well, Avery, it is very nice to meet you, are you ready to go make some new friends and have a great year," Bucky asked, gesturing to the classroom door behind him where the other students were already talking and playing with each other. Avery poked her head around his legs to get a better look, obviously something sparked her interest cause the next thing you knew she was giving your legs a squeeze and yelling, "bye mommy! Love you!" as she ran into Bucky's classroom.

Bucky laughed at her enthusiasm, she reminded him of Becca. He turned to face you, extended his hand and said, "I look forward to teaching Avery this year, as I said I'm Mr. Barnes. It's nice to meet you, Mrs. L/N."

The corner of your lip twitched upwards, almost like you wanted to smirk at his assumption that you were married, and you reached your hand out to give his a firm shake before stating, "It's Ms. L/N. Y/N L/N. And I look forward to hearing all about the joys of first grade, Mr. Barnes."Bucky swore his face lost all color. The blood drained out of his face so fast the second he heard her full name. He'd heard of Y/N L/N. Who the hell hadn't. She ran L/N Enterprises and was known as one of the most ruthless executives in New York. Your smirk turned into a smile full of teeth, a smile Bucky was sure you'd perfected in all sorts of business deals and meetings over the years.

Or maybe it was one you reserved just for people when they found out who you were, your reputation obviously preceding you, Bucky couldn't help but think to himself. He opened his mouth to respond but you cut him off as your phone started to ring, "thank you for the introduction, Mr. Barnes. And thank you for your work this morning with Avery, she's a little shy and I'm not entirely certain where she got that from. I'm sure we'll see each other soon." You turned down the hall, heels tapping the linoleum flooring as you answered the phone with a harsh, "What?"

As Bucky watched you walk away he let out a sigh he didn't know he'd been holding in since you introduced yourself. "This really is gonna be a long year."

~~~~~~~

I don’t have a taglist for this fic yet, but if you’d like to be added just let me know!

#bucky barnes x reader #james bucky barnes #single dad bucky x single mom reader #bucky barnes x yn #teacher bucky barnes #bucky as a teacher and a single dad? all i ever wanted #original characters #rebecca barnes #bucky barnes fanfiction #BuckySimp101

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buckybarnesthehotshot · 2 years

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Baby’s Firsts XI: Baby’s First Steps (Bucky Barnes x Reader)

ꜱᴇʀɪᴇꜱ ᴍᴀꜱᴛᴇʀʟɪꜱᴛ || ᴘʀᴇᴠ

summary: dottie takes her first steps and so does bucky

word count: 2334

warnings: this isn’t proofread, kind of rushed

taglist is open

“Can you stop moping, you’re getting your tears in my cereal,” y/n groaned jokingly, gaze drifting over to the pouty man she shared her dining table with.

“I’m not even crying,” Bucky scoffed at her comment, peeling his jaw away from his palm, and taking a bite out of the apple he’d been munching on.

“You might as well be,” y/n rolled her eyes at this, offering Dottie a bite of her cereal, “I mean, come on, it was a month ago, Barnes. How are you still sulking about the whole Diane situation.”

“How do you know I’m even moping about Diane?” the prideful man scoffed again, crossing his arms over his chest, “How do you know I’m not stressing over something work-related?”

y/n gave a disappointed look. She knew Bucky far better than that. She knew he’d been feeling down since he pulled Diane away from the party for a moment. She didn’t pry. She figured he’d tell her eventually.

She just didn’t think he’d elongate his period of sulking for another month. Had she known whatever happened then would have affected him this badly, she would have talked to him right after the incident went down.

“You can’t just bottle this up,” y/n huffed, quickly giving Dottie another spoonful of cereal before the baby even called for the spoon, “We live together, Bucky. I know you better than this. You get all broody when you bottle up your feelings. I thought Sam talked to you about all this already.”

“y/n, I’m doing just fine, I don’t know why you keep insisting that I’m not, but I am. I’m perfectly fine,” Bucky asserted, somehow already having finished eating his apple.

“If you’re so fine, let’s go for a jog, then,” y/n shrugged, catching Bucky off-guard. No, their discussion wasn’t an attempt for her to get Bucky to go out on a jog with her, “I mean, you’re into this fitness shit and if you were perfectly fine, you’d go on a jog with me.”

“What are you trying to prove?” Bucky narrowed his eyes at her, having not a single clue about why his roommate decided that day was the perfect day to go for a run.

“That we should go on a run in Central Park?” y/n shrugged nonchalantly, turning to Dottie, “Taking the burrito out to nature’s good for enrichment.”

“Central park doesn’t count as nature, y/n.”

“Should I remind you that we live in New York?” y/n quirked a brow at him sarcastically, taking Dottie out of her high chair, “You want to go to the park too, don’t you?”

She wasn’t sure Dottie knew what she was saying, but her enthusiastic tone was enough to energize the toddler, laughing and kicking at the suggestion.

“See, Barnes? Would you deny your daughter a chance to spend time out in nature? Are you going to let her grow up to become one of those iPad kids at the mall?” y/n taunted, a faux frown making its way to her face as she held Dottie up to Bucky’s eye line. His daughter’s wide blue eyes were more than enough to convince him to agree to the run.

“Fine, we’ll go for a run,” he shrugged, “You’re going to change her clothes, though.”

“I’m cool with that,” y/n nodded, “But you pack her diaper bag too in case things get messy, please.”

Bucky nodded, and just like that, they’d managed to split their duties to Dottie as they both rushed around the apartment. Well, Bucky did as he tried looking for anything and everything Dottie could have needed for their trip to the park.

“Okay, I’m ready,” y/n insisted, making her way out of her room, Dottie clad in what looked like it could have been a running outfit. Of course, y/n didn’t miss an opportunity to match clothes with the baby. Bucky had no idea when she even found time to buy clothes that would match Dottie’s.

“Now I feel left out,” he laughed, looking down at his gray clothes, severely lacking that pop of bright color that both y/n and Dottie had.

“Maybe next time,” y/n laughed, making her way out of the apartment with him, taking her car keys down with her. At that point, both she and Bucky had a car seat in their car, it was more convenient for the pair with how often y/n needed to bring Dottie out as well.

The drive from Central Park—thankfully—didn’t take them too long. The next thing they knew, y/n was rummaging through the trunk already.

“What are you looking for?” Bucky quirked a brow at her, already carrying Dottie.

“The stroller. How are we supposed to run if we don’t have her stroller?”

“I thought you had it in your car.”

“We moved it to yours when we went to her doctor’s appointment, remember?”

“Okay, I’ll figure something out,” Bucky nodded, handing Dottie over to y/n and digging through Dottie’s diaper bag, pulling out the baby carrier. He strapped it on, then had y/n put Dottie in it.

“Are you seriously going for a run with her just there?” y/n questioned, brows furrowing at the idea.

Bucky knew what he could take, he was a pretty fit man. He was sure he could take going on a run with his infant daughter strapped to his chest.

“Yeah, why not,” he shrugged, shutting the car door, “Let’s go.”

The pair started off walking, just to get their blood flowing more, y/n smiled as Dottie looked around all the trees in amazement.

“You like the trees?” y/n questioned, smiling at the expression on Dottie’s face, “Yeah? You’re going to have to enjoy them here because there’s no way we’re going to be allowed to have a tree in the apartment.”

“Why do you have to crush her baby dreams like that?” Bucky quipped, letting out a small laugh at the way y/n interacted with his daughter.

“We live in New York, she’s going to have to learn about the real world sooner or later,” y/n shook her head, letting out a small chuckle. Slowly, then began to up their pace, y/n smiling widely as she heard the way Dottie giggled, bouncing up and down as her dad jogged.

“Good to know you’re enjoying my struggles,” Bucky quipped, blue eyes fixated on the expression of pure joy on his daughter’s face.

“This is exhausting, why did I suggest this,” y/n huffed, trying her best to keep up with Bucky’s pace, “God, it’s like you were genetically modified to be this athletic or something.”

“Yeah, well, apparently genetic modification doesn’t keep you from heartbreak,” he huffed out, also starting to grow tired with the extra weight he had strapped to his chest.

“What happened at that party, Bucky?” y/n questioned sincerely as they ran. Bucky shrugged, letting out a huff. Whether it was from breathlessness or frustration, y/n wouldn’t know.

“We talked.”

“Yeah, no shit,” y/n scoffed, somehow staying side-by-side with Bucky. Perhaps his pace was slowed down by the fact that he still had Dottie to worry about.

“She said she really doesn’t want to take care of Dottie,” Bucky let out a bitter chuckle, “I tried reassuring her that all the responsibility wouldn’t just fall to her, but she didn’t want to hear it.”

y/n’s heart ached at his admission. She worried for Bucky, Dottie too, of course. It was upsetting that Diane left solely because she didn’t want to care for Dottie. y/n couldn’t blame her, but perhaps she could have explained it all properly instead of leaving Bucky hanging for a year before finally severing the ties between them.

Hell, maybe it would have been better for them all if she just didn’t attend the party. She was aware it was a birthday party for the child she abandoned, being thrown by the man she left. Why the hell did she even attend?

“I mean, I guess you got your explanation for why she left,” y/n didn’t know how to console her friend. She didn’t know many people who got left by their significant others in favor of a child-free life.

“That’s not what ticked me off, though. What ticked me off is the fact that we talked about it so many times, and she decided to leave when it was all real,” Bucky scoffed, “I would have been fine if she said she didn’t want kids before all this, you know?”

“Yeah?” y/n nodded, unsure of where the conversation was trailing.

“I love having Dottie in my life, but if Diane she didn’t want to have a kid before we had Dottie, I would have been fine with that decision,” Bucky shook his head, a tear making its way down to his face as they slowed down, “I wanted to marry her, y/n. I really thought she would have been the one.”

Now, this felt as though y/n was being stabbed in the heart. Of course, she was aware of the budding feelings she harbored for her friend. How could she not when they only grew more obvious as the days passed?

What struck her was the thought that Bucky would have never seen her the same way he saw Diane. Diane was somebody he saw a future with. Her? She was just his friend. They were good friends, yes, but that was all she figured she could be to Bucky.

Not when another woman consumed his every thought and his very being. Not when a woman like Diane had him wrapped around her finger despite being absent from his life for a year. A woman who despite constantly rejecting him, he still yearned for.

Bucky wanted Diane. y/n sure as hell couldn’t be Diane, but one thing was certain. Despite all this, she was going to stick around. She wasn’t going to leave.

“Well, there’s not much we can do to change that. You tried everything you could, and that’s enough, Bucky. That’s enough beating yourself up over a woman who didn’t give you a second thought,” y/n shook her head, her hand grasping Bucky’s, “I’m not saying you can just move on easily, but you have to keep moving forward, Bucky. For Dottie’s sake.”

“Right,” Bucky nodded, offering her a lopsided smile, “For Dottie’s sake…speaking of, can you hold her for a minute, I gotta catch my breath.”

“Like for the rest of the run?”

“Preferably.”

“Fuck no, she’s going to have to learn to walk on her own,” y/n scoffed, pulling Dottie out of the carrier and setting her on the ground, propping her up and holding onto her arms, “Come on, burrito, you’ve been practicing this at the apartment. One foot in front of the other.”

She was right, Dottie had begun trying to pull herself up on things, standing with the assistance of their furniture. They’d tried getting Dottie to walk as well, but she could only do so with somebody’s assistance. They were sure it was going to happen soon, though.

“You know, even if she learns how to walk, she wouldn’t be able to keep up with us if we continue the jog,” Bucky reminded her as y/n shushed him.

“Go be a supportive father,” she scoffed, motioning to the space in front of them both, telling him to prepare to catch Dottie in case she slipped over the trail.

They spent the next few minutes like that, Bucky watching on as y/n tried to get Dottie to walk around the park. Dottie didn’t seem to mind, she had a smile on her face the whole time, just happy to be receiving all this encouragement from her father and her “mama”.

“You think we should do a trial where I let go of her and she tries walking to you?” y/n suggested, taking note of how quickly Dottie was getting around with her help.

“Wouldn’t that be a bit dangerous for her? What if she slips?” Bucky, the ever-concerned father questioned.

“Then you and your freaky reflexes will catch her,” y/n shrugged, turning to Dottie, “You want to walk without me?”

Once again, her enthusiastic tone put a smile to the baby’s face as she began nodding.

“See, Dottie wants to try walking on her own now.”

“She doesn’t understand what you’re saying,” Bucky scoffed as y/n shook her head.

“Just one trial. If she doesn’t like it, we can stop,” y/n promised, practically watching the gears turn in Bucky’s head.

“Alright, let’s do it,” Bucky nodded, inching away from y/n and Dottie and smiling at the sight of his daughter, “Okay, Dottie, do you think you can go to daddy?”

Dottie smiled, eagerly trying to grasp for Bucky as y/n let go of her hands, leaving Dottie to make her way towards Bucky on her own. Though her balance wasn’t the best, she took shaky steps towards Bucky, a gummy smile on her face the whole time before she managed to make her way into her father’s arms.

“That’s my burrito right there!” y/n cheered, placing a small kiss on Dottie’s forehead and smiling down at the baby, “You just walked!”

“I’m so proud of you,” Bucky chuckled, squatting down to put Dottie back in a position where he could assist her with her walking. Of course, it would be a while before Dottie actually started walking around on her own completely, “Thanks for planning out this jog, it was actually pretty nice.”

“I’m pretty sure everything’s going to be sore later, but I’m glad it got you to open up a bit more,” y/n nodded, a tired smile making its way to her face.

Just like Dottie, perhaps Bucky was definitely making baby steps towards moving on from his relationship with Diane.

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