Growing Together: Green Series 8 (Pre-Serum Omega!Steve and Alpha!Bucky AU)

Nineteen

As it had become tradition, the family was treated to a Valentine's Day breakfast in heart-shaped red velvet waffles topped with whipped cream and heart sprinkles. The only difference over the years was breakfast in bed stopped and transformed into Bucky and Steve working as a team to feed their family.

"You're silly," Steve told Kit as the little boy purposely put whipped cream above his upper lip so he could have a mustache.

Handing the youngest boy a napkin, Bucky glanced at the clock. Finishing loading the dishwasher, Bucky asked, "You got everything for school, squirt?"

"Um," Oliver thought as he finished his waffle off. Climbing off his stool at the breakfast bar, he raced for the stairs as he called over his shoulder, "Just a minute!"

Shaking his head, Bucky leaned over to kiss Steve's temple. Walking around the island, he kissed the rest of their children's foreheads before gathering his own items for his day at work. It was, after all, a Tuesday.

As Bucky left for the garage, Oliver raced back into the kitchen with his backpack clutched in his hand. He rounded the corner, expecting to leave the house without kissing his papa. Steve, however, wouldn't even tolerate that as he asked, "You forgetting something, speedster?"

Rolling his eyes, Oliver double backed to kiss Steve's cheek. Steve told him, "I love you. Have a good day at school."

"Okay," Oliver called over his shoulder, "Love you."

Shaking his head, Steve continued cleaning up the kitchen. When the littles were done, he took care of their plates, loading them into the dishwasher. Washing off sticky faces and sticky hands before letting them run off to play and watch cartoons as he wiped down the breakfast bar.

Once done, he checked the clock and rounded up the kids so he could take the boys to school. Giving them each a kiss and wishing them the same thing that he wished Oliver, "Have a good day! Love you!"

"Love you," the pair called as they climbed out of the van and closed the door.

With just the girls with him now, Steve headed for the flower shop. Just as he had every year since the triplets turned one. There, he greeted the florist and let the girls choose flowers, balloons, and stuffed animals. Then, when those were paid for, the quartet headed for the cemetery.

His chest still clenched in that too tight way that it always did when he thought too long about his first daughter. It hurt. It really, truly did. And Steve knew that it always would. Of course, he was glad to find that with each smile and giggle and hug that he got from his other children, it helped. At least a little. He could now get out of bed on the holiday, that hadn't been possible before. Even if sometimes it hurt as much as it had the day they found Rory unmoving seven years ago. It probably would until the day he died.

Climbing out of the minivan, Steve led the girls over to the two graves of Steve's first gals. Wiping the snow from the tombstones, Steve reread the words that he knew by heart. Our precious daughter, always in our hearts. Kissing his fingers, Steve touched them to Flora's tombstone. Repeating the gesture, he did the same with Sarah's. Righteous woman, beloved mother, forever missed.

As the girls laid a flower on each of the graves, Steve tried to imagine what Rory would look like. She'd probably have red-tinted brown waves as the rest of his children did. She'd probably have Bucky's big steel-blue eyes. Maybe she'd have Steve's nose and his smile, but he hoped that she'd be all Bucky.

Next, Steve envisioned what Sarah would look like as a grandmother. Proud, no doubt. Embarrassing them just as much as she had Steve by saving all of their coloring sheets and awful school portraits. She'd probably show them off to all of her friends.

"Papa, where mimi live?" Bitsy asked, tugging on the hem of his jacket.

Taking her gloved hand in his, Steve explained as simply as possible for the three year old to understand, "because she's in heaven, baby," even if he didn't know if he believed there was such a thing as heaven.

"Rory live there too?" Nevie asked.

Blinking back his tears, Steve nodded, "And Rory lives there too."

Steve clapped his hands together. Rounding up the girls, "Okay. Everyone in the van."

Bitsy blew kisses to the tombstones before racing for the vehicle. Nevie did the same, blowing kisses and then rushing for the van. When she fell into the snow, she cried, and Steve lifted her out of the snow. Brushing the snow from her face, Steve peppering her face with kisses until her cries stopped as he repeatedly assured, "You're okay."

Setting her in the cab of the van, he turned around to see that Cori was still standing in front of the graves. Thickly swallowing, Steve backtracked to the toddler just in time to hear her say, "Happy Valem-time Day."

"C'mon, sweetie," Steve insisted, guiding her towards their vehicle. Making sure that they were each buckled in their car seats, Steve closed the door and climbed in behind the steering wheel.

Making his way out of the cemetery, Steve continued driving past their house to Barnes Auto Repair. Pulling around to the back, Steve parked beside his Volvo.

Helping the girls out of the vehicle, Steve handed Bitsy a pink teddy bear, Nevie a small bouquet of white carnations, and last but not least, handing Cori a heart-shaped red foil balloon.

Letting the girls enter the shop through the employee entrance, Steve happily followed behind. Of course, the girls raced towards the front of the shop and loudly greeted their grandmother, "Happy Valem-time Day, bebe!"

"Oh my," Winnie started, seeing the gifts, "Are these for me?"

The girls nodded and Steve chuckled when Winnie continued to feign surprise. "Oh, my goodness. You're all too sweet. C'mere and give me some kisses."

Steve smiled and took a seat in one of the thickly cushioned waiting chairs. Needing just a moment to gather his emotions and carefully tuck them away for later so he didn't turn into a sobbing mess in his in-laws' repair shop. Thankful when his husband joined them in the lobby.

"Today must be my lucky day!" Bucky announced, gaining the little girls' attention. And even though they had seen him only a few short hours before, the girls still treated him as though he had been gone for days.

Not that Bucky cared. Not that Steve did either.

Instead, Bucky lifted each girl to scent their happy-pup pheromones and scent mark over their backs. Kissing their foreheads and playfully blowing raspberries on their cheeks. Then, in jest, Bucky tugged their stocking hats down over their eyes, causing them to giggle as they complained. Steve loved them all. Loved them all so, so much. Even the ones who couldn't be there.