He's how old?

The Truth is Revealed

"Please tell me that you did not tell the rest of the team you were 26, Steven Grant." Bucky said scarily calm towards the blonde. Although the fact he wouldn't make eye contact with him was answer enough.

This prompting Bucky to push both of their chairs back and pick the silent soldier up and over his shoulder before strolling into the elevator, while Steve looked away tearfully.

The elevator ride up to Tony's floor was silent other than a few sniffles. Once they reached the penthouse Bucky beelined towards Steve's bedroom before sitting down on the bed and adjusting Steve until he was stood between his knees.

"What am I gunna do with you Pal, hmmm." Bucky muttered as he patted his butt to get his attention, although still no eye contact, only Steve grabbing the collar of his shirt and rubbing it between his fingers to try and soothe himself to stop the tears falling. "Is there a reason why you lied, huh Steve, maybe you wanted to be seen as a big boy, hmm, or maybe you didn't like them enough to tell them?"

"I know I have super hearing but even I couldn't here that Stevie, a little louder please for my old man hearing" which got a little giggle out of Steve but not much.

"Scared" Steve whispered again, but luckily Bucky could make out what he said this time.

"Oh Bud, I bet it was scary not knowing where you were and in a new century, hmm, but you could have told them the truth later though couldn't you?"

"They hate Stevie now?" Steve whispered before a new set of tears made it down his already stained cheeks again, breaking Bucky's heart.

"No one could hate you Pal, your just too cute." Bucky replies softly as he brings him into a hug where Steve just collapses on him as he buries his face in his shoulder.

"Ohh Sweetheart, everything's fine I'll sort it, no one hates you I promise, Peter would never hate you, his favourite play mate, and Tony loves you as much as I do, and so does the rest of the team it just means there may be a few more ground rules, and I know how much you love to break a rule, huh, my little troublemaker." Bucky coos as he grabs Blankie and brushes Steve's teary face with it.

"So, this is what's gunna happen, you're going to get 16 of these" Bucky says as he pats his bum "then 16 minutes in that corner, because you know lying is a big no no, and then we are going to go back down to the common floor and join the rest of the team yeah, and maybe grab Peter and go get some ice cream, good plan?"

"S'ppose" Steve replies as he scrubbed at his eyes before Bucky grabs his hand, so he doesn't hurt himself.

"Good boy, you know the drill." He says as he pats his knees.

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Meanwhile back on the common floor, everyone sat around the table somewhat awkwardly while Peter was in the living room playing with his cars.

"I mean now we know, it's quite obvious he wasn't actually 26, I mean Tony, you pretty much treat him like Peter, and he was always far too innocent to be an adult really if we think about it." Clint says as he breaks the tension.

"I guess, I mean like in the shop the other day, he was worse than Peter, and his blanket and the bottle of milk. It was really obvious if we thought about it really, I treat him like m-a kid anyway." Tony says above his mug of coffee.

"Daddy, can you play cars with me please?" Peter says as he runs back into the kitchen with a few cars and dumps them on Tony.

"Not right now Buddy, why don't you colour Steve a picture for when he comes back."