April Showers | Bucky Barnes x Reader AU

6 | but you love me

"Once upon a time there was a boy who loved a girl, and her laughter was a question he wanted to spend his whole life answering."
The History of Love, Nicole Krauss

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Lunch goes by far too quickly for Bucky's liking. He takes them to the Loeb Boathouse in Central Park. Y/N protested that April would have been happy enough going to TGI Friday's, but Bucky argued: "that they could eat there literally anywhere in the UK and he would therefore not be giving her a cool New York experience."

April has a chilli dog and fries and she demolishes it like she hasn't eaten in weeks. She chats and jokes with them both and Bucky revels in seeing her and Y/N interact. He can tell that they're best friends and the fact that Y/N had April so young has meant they've forged a mother/daughter bond like no other.

"What are you smiling all goofy at?" April narrows her eyes at him as she catches him having a moment. He shakes himself out of it, catching Y/N's gaze as he shrugs it off.

"This burger is just really good." He replies.

April rolls her bright blue eyes, very obviously not believing a word he just said. He can't believe how similar they look no matter how many times he subtly stares at her. She has Y/N's lips and face shape but everything else is all him.

"Can we go to the museum, please?" April slurps up the last of her soda before she paints on a very cute smile that would have had Bucky agreeing to everything she says.

"Which one?"

"Um, the one with all the old stuff?" She replies, there's a hint of premature teenage attitude laced in her words. It's almost as if there's an unspoken 'duh' hanging in the air.

Bucky watches on as Y/N gives April a look for the attitude. A silent telling off that April seems to understand instantly.

"Sorry, the history one. Please." She asks. "And can Bucky come with us?"

"We can. You'll have to ask Bucky if he wants to join us though, munchkin. He might be busy this afternoon." Y/N says and April shifts in her chair to face Bucky, her chin resting on her hands as she flutters her eyelashes at him.

"Bucky, do you want to come to the museum with us?"

He does have two new manuscripts that he promised Steve he would read by this evening. A few hours at the museum won't do any harm though, he thinks. If he's running really late, he'll just rope Steve into reading one of them. Drop by with his favourite whiskey and pizza and he'll be golden.

"I would love to." He smiles, the corners of his eyes creasing and the two of them scrunch their noses at each other. They've already formed a bond of sorts and the interaction causes a warmth to rush through Y/N's limbs. She wishes she could just tell April that Bucky is her dad there and then but she knows there's a dance to these things.

April has never asked about her father. Y/N always thought there was no point bringing it up unless the little girl became curious. Not while her own father despised Bucky so much. She didn't want to cause any hostility and when he fell ill, the need to keep the air light and amicable between them only grew. April never questioned why her friends had dad's and she didn't, either. She would just tell Y/N that she felt special because she had a super-mum.

"To the museum, then." Bucky announces once he's paid the bill. He holds out April's coat, helping guide her arms into the sleeves and then Y/N pulls a woolly hat onto her head with a firm tug. It earns a grumble from April who complains about getting hat hair.