hardest to love: bucky barnes

twenty-two.

The girls got home around seven that night, we sat around the table and ate dinner. I decided to wait till after dinner to tell them the news. After we all finished our food we sat in the living room together while the three younger girls picked out a show for us to watch before they went to bed, that's when I decided it was time to tell them the news.

"So, I have some news to tell you girls." I said causing five little heads to turn in my direction at a rapid pace.

"Are you guys getting married?" Marina asked Bucky and I, with a squinted expression.

"No." Bucky and I said laughing at the comment from the small brunette.

"Then what's the news?" Emilia asked after.

"Well, earlier I asked Bucky if he would move in with us so he can help me out with you girls." I said watching all their faces carefully after speaking.

"So... What do you think?" Bucky asked them as he watched their expressions closely. The five girls paused momentarily to think it over.

"We need a moment to discuss." Nadia said as they all stood up in unison and walking into Nadia and Irina's room. Bucky and I looked over at each other and I shrugged at him with a giggle. He smiled and shook his head, after a few minutes the girls emerged from the bedroom.

"So, we have come to the decision that we want Bucky to move in with us." Angelina said before throwing herself onto Bucky, hugging him. The other girls soon followed the youngest actions.

We celebrated that night with ice cream and movies. The next two days involved moving Bucky's stuff over to our house. Everything from his clothes to his toothbrush was a dark shade of black, probably the darkest shade created. I didn't mind though, the house was multiple shades of us. My room was shades of browns and white while Irina and Nadia's room was a lavender painted color, Emilia and Marina's room was a sky blue and white mix and Angelia's room was messy shades of pinks and reds. Their rooms matched their personalities perfectly.
A few days later Sam dropped off a bag for Bucky while Steve and him were on a mission and the girls were at school.

"Come in!" I yelled from the kitchen as Sam knocked on the door.

"Hey Val." He said dropping Bucky's bag at the door.

"Hey." I said going over to hug him.

"I'm really happy for you guys." He said letting go of me to get one of the cupcakes I was frosting.

"Aw, Thanks. The girls are really excited." I said moving back to the counter.

"I always knew this was going to happen but Bucky never believed me, no matter how much he wanted it."

"What?"

"When Bucky first came to the tower I would always catch him staring at you, everywhere he saw you it was like he was studying you. Which surprised me because he tried to seem like he didn't like you when deep down he adored how strong and intelligent you are."

"Oh, I didn't know he felt that way back then." I was slightly puzzled at the way Sam claims Bucky was.

"Yeah, he would be hard on you because he knew you could handle it. He told Steve he saw you in the red room shortly after he met you. He might've done a lot wrong in the past but now he is someone new, someone who's better because of you." I didn't want to cry over this but damn it was hard.

"I know, next to the girls and the team he is the best thing I have ever had. He's come a long way and I just don't know what I would do now without him." I said wiping a tear from my cheek while Sam pulls me in again for a hug. Once Sam leaves and the girls started to come home was when I got a call from Natasha.

"Valentina! I need you to get down here as soon as possible!" Her voice was coated in panic.

"O-okay, I'm on my way." I said also in panic but slipping on shoes and heading to the living room.

"Girls, I need to run and help Auntie Nat. Irina and Nadia are in charge and dinner is made already. I'll have Pepper come check on you." I said rummaging for my keys. "I love you and I'll be back soon."

"We love you too, be careful." Nadia said before I left.

I raced to the tower and when I got there Natasha and Tony were in the Quinjet. Natasha had her head down while picking at her red nail polish. Tony talked started the Quinjet when Nat spotted me and I jogged towards them.

"What happened? Is everything alright?" I asked as Natasha looked up.

"No. Bucky got shot and is in critical condition, Steve can't get the plane to start and we need to get there now." She said leading me into the jet. I didn't feel the warm tears down my face till Natasha wiped them and pulled me into a tight hug, similar to the one when we left the red room.

No. No. No. No. Not Bucky. Not my Bucky.

"He has to make it 'Tasha." I sobbed into her shoulder.

"He will. I promise but you need to get your suit on, kid." Tony said coming over to hug us.

After a minute or so, Natasha handed me my suit and I got dressed. I sat in the bathroom for a bit longer once I got my suit on. The moment seemed frozen, like time stopped, my leg was shaking from how anxious I was and it felt like I couldn't breathe. There was nothing more I wanted right now then to be with Bucky. My heart broke even more about possibly having to tell the girls if he doesn't make it. I cried even more at the thought of having to talk to them about it because of how much they have grown to like him.

Natasha must have heard me crying from beyond the bathroom door because she knocked and then I got up from the floor and waited with Tony and Natasha, She held my hand while Tony called Pepper and asked her to stay with the girls.

"Hey, you are the strongest person I know. No matter what happens when we get home, you will be okay." She said looking at me in my red puffy eyes.

"Thank you, Nat." I said as she rubbed her thumb across my knuckles softly.

"We will be landing shortly so, be ready." Tony said giving us a heads up.

I was terrified to see Bucky but it was the only thing that would give me peace.

A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I graduated recently and have been a bit busy but I started two new fics a Bucky fic called Telepatía and a Natasha fic called Hypnotic if anyone is interested. I'm excited to start updating again more regularly.