The Encyclopedia Of Bucky Barnes' New Beginnings | Stucky

Eight ∆ A Tendency for Funerals

Dot's funeral was the next weekend. Thankfully, Bucky's black eye had healed up, but he was still nervous about this. He knew Julia well enough, but seeing her other friends was bizarre - and her parents.

Oh god, he had to see her parents.

What if they tried to take Olivia from him?

What if they blamed him?

They couldn't take her away.

Bucky got himself ready before he went to help Olivia. Steve was drawing with her, his suit jacket tossed over the back of one of the dining room chairs. They had about two hours before they had to leave, so they could take time in explaining what this all was and getting her ready. He had his index and middle fingers hooked into the heel of his square-toed dress shoes, walking downstairs in soft dress socks.

He found his husband and daughter mostly as he left them, but now they were sitting on Olivia's bed, atop the covers, and the sleeves of Steve's dress shirt were roles up just past his elbows. He was sketching something for her, as she cuddled against his side to watch, but they both looked up when he came to the doorway. Steve flipped the sketchbook closed and pushed the pencil through the binding, sitting up and pulling Olivia up with him.

It was so hard to bring it up. There was no good way to. So he eased down on the foot of her bed, gently asking, "Do you know what a funeral is, Liv?" He had adopted the nickname the more Steve used it, and she hasn't yet told him to stop.

When she didn't answer, Steve gave her a little side hug, a comforting squeeze. She shook her head, and Steve continued with the explanation. "It's a gathering, to honor a loved one that's passed."

"Your mom's is today," Bucky added on, hating to watch the tears build in her eyes. His own stung, his throat tight. "That's why Steve and I are dressed 'fancy,'" he quoted her from before, when he and Steve had changed shifts and Steve had come down in his suit.

"Do I have to dress fancy, too?" she asked, voice wavering.

"It's nice to. But I'm not gonna make you if you really don't want to."

She pushed away from Steve, slipping off the bed and darting over to her closet. They had to put a pressure rod in, lower down so she could reach. She was happy to pick out her own outfits, but just needed a little help getting into them, so she didn't trip and fall. She reached way in the back and pulled something out, turning to show them. It was a deep blue dress, the collar and sleeves formed with dyed lace, the layers beneath the top of the skirt formed with some tulle. She brought it back to them, whispering, "Mommy liked this one."

"It's very pretty, honey," Bucky complimented, truthfully. "Do you want anything underneath?" He knew some wore tights or leggings under those types of things.

She didn't respond, but moved to one of her drawers and found a pair of black leggings. Having it picked out, Bucky got her all dressed up, and then sat her down to french braid her soft brown hair.

Before they left, they all put on their shoes, Steve and Bucky in their shiny dress and Olivia in cute blue Mary Jane's, the buckle in the shape of a butterfly. They got in the car, Bucky running his thumbs along the monarch butterfly pattern of his daughter's mask, having grabbed it for her before they left the house. Steve reached over the center console for his hand, and Bucky squeezed in response, letting his head fall back against the headrest.

The funeral home was huge and sprawling, different buildings along the property for different kinds of services. The sign of one had paw prints on it, for pet urns and cremation.

Dot had been cremated. Julia had texted him that, the two of them having traded numbers the evening they were at the hospital. Bucky took Olivia in one day after his school let out, and he guided her through picking out an urn for her. Julia had a little keepsake urn that was the size of her hand, and a necklace that held some ashes. Bucky felt weird to get anything, but Julia told him to, and he picked out a train-shaped pendant after asking Julia if he could have Dot's charm bracelet. He'd contributed most of those charms. She'd smiled, and said she would bring it to the funeral, when they would all get their sealed urns and items.