Finding Jade - A Bucky Barnes Story

Chapter 4. Provisions (Sexual Content)

The following morning Bucky and Jade walked into the common room hand in hand while everyone was there. They seemed an odd couple, the tall, broad shouldered, dark haired Bucky and the shorter, slender, blonde, fair skinned Jade.

"Does anyone have any condoms?" asked Bucky, outright.

Everyone looked at Sam and Maria, being the only couple there. Sam shook his head no.

"I have an implant," said Maria. "We can put one on the provisions list."

"When's the next run?" asked Bucky.

"Two weeks," said Clint, smiling, "I could always go sooner in the quinjet."

"No," said Steve. "Quinjet is for missions only. No personal use."

"A provision run is organized just like a mission," said Peter, "just saying."

Steve glared at him. He was sympathetic but operating the quinjet was risky. They had already lost one quinjet and it's passengers, Fury and Rhodey, when the Others tracked them and blasted them out of the sky with a laser guided projectile. Bucky just looked at him when he vetoed using the quinjet then walked over to the list and added condoms and an implant to it.

"As you can see we're now a couple," he said. "If you have any comments say them now."

"Congratulations?" said Peter.

Bucky laughed and put his hand on Peter's shoulder. "Thanks, kid," he said.

"Does this mean you're going to be less grumpy than before?" asked Sam.

"Doubtful," answered Bucky.

The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.
        Eden Ahbez, "Nature Boy" (song, recorded by Nat King Cole)

The addition of Jade, Ma, and Ben to the group at the Bunker seemed to lift the spirits of everyone there. Peter, who had silently suffered wondering if his Aunt May was alive or dead, connected with 10 year old Ben like a big brother, introducing him to the huge Lego stash. Recognizing Ben's thirst for knowledge Peter tutored him in math and science, finding a useful outlet for his own excess energy that kept him from brooding on the state of the world. Ma, who told Bruce she had been a nurse prior to a brain aneurysm that caused her psychic powers, proved to be a big help to him in the medical room and in his lab. Even though she looked about ten years older than him due to her white hair they found she was actually two years younger. They shared an appreciation for similar literature and music. As she helped him in setting up experiments they had all sorts of animated conversations about a raft of different subjects. Jade had honoured Peggy's wish and sought out Steve in private, offering him access to the memory of the encounter with his wife. His eyes had teared up but when he released Jade's hand he had looked thoughtfully at her and thanked her for sharing it with him. Then he went to his room and didn't come out for hours. After that it was never spoken of again.

The biggest change, even though he told Sam it was doubtful, was in Bucky now that he and Jade were a couple. They were together most of the time, hand in hand. He was much less surly and more polite. Ma, at her insistence, moved out of the two bedroom suite so Bucky could move in. When he asked Jade if Ben would have a problem with him being there she said no. Calling her son in she told Ben that Bucky wanted to talk to him and then she left before Bucky could protest, leaving the two alone. It had thrown Bucky for a loop as the boy sat across from him expectantly.

"Is this like the sex talk?" Ben asked. "I already know where babies come from."

"No," stammered Bucky. "How do you feel about me living here with your mom?"