Just like you

Who's your daddy

The last few hours had been a nice distraction after a shitty day. He'd had nightmares that kept him up for most of the night which led to him getting no more than two or three hours of sleep at the most. Unable to stay in his room he'd gone down to the gym to hit the heavy bag, but half way through demolishing it his arm gave him trouble. Not the metal arm. The one that wasn't there anymore. Phantom pain they called it. It felt like his real arm was still there and was going through the trauma of being crushed all over again. So, tired and in pain he'd drug his aching body back to his apartment to shower and suffer in silence because pain meds didn't work with his enchanted metabolism.

Giving into the grumpy mask that he has become known for, Bucky went through the motions of his usual day until he got the text from Steve about coming somewhere with him and Katherine. It was right then that for the first time that day he smiled. For one, because his best friend and their new teammate looked to be building a bridge to, maybe not friendship but something looking like camaraderie. For two, when she took them down to the garage and showed them her car, Bucky just about fell in love. This woman kept surprising him with just about everything he learned about her. He felt sad of course about her family life, but from the sound of it her relationship with her grandfather seemed to have more than made up for it. Katherine had a rough life all the way up until recently, but she didn't let that stop her or slow her down. In fact, it seemed to spur her on to show the world that Katherine Blake was one tough dame.

When she'd told them who she'd brought them to meet Bucky had been excited. He'd heard her stories about the men who'd made up her former team for the last few weeks and looked forward to meeting them. Especially Thomas Barclay. He was her Steve Rogers. The sibling-like relationship had him reminiscing about his own with his best friend. The crazy antics they'd get up to, the heartbreak and just, life. To have someone that was there for you like that... It's indescribable the feeling knowing that you have someone in your corner through thick and thin, especially the thin.

So here he sat, leaning back in his seat with his right arm draped over Kat's chair and his glass of lukewarm beer in his left. Bucky laughed at the story Thomas, or Tommy as he preferred to be called, told them about their mutual friend. Amused by her shout of outrage he grinned when Tommy leaned across the table to tap her nose. "Oh please, you cheated on that bet, Kit Kat and you know it. That's why you had to get that tattoo!"

"Tattoo, what tattoo?" He asked, a slow lazy smile blooming across his face, curious wondering where exactly it was. That is until everyone but him and Steve sobered up a bit. Feeling the shift of joviality go to a more somber mood he sat up a bit. "Did I say something wrong?"

Placing her right hand on the table Katherine shook her head. "No, it's just that it was on my shoulder." She said, looking down at her metal limb. Shaking herself out of whatever dark thoughts she was currently having she smiled up at him trying to bring the good mood back around. "It said, 'Who's your daddy'." Shooting Tommy a non heated glare she jabs a finger in his direction before grinning widely. "I might have lost that bet, but I won in the long run because these jokers had to see it every day."

Groaning, Charlie ran a hand over his face as he nodded. "And whenever she beat us at something or stole our shot she'd scream out, 'Who's your daddy!', much to our mortification." Steve and Bucky can't help but laugh at the picture he paints. Leaning over the table Charlie looks to Matthew hooking his thumb back at Katherine. "Do you remember the time we went paintballing?"

This question set off another round of boisterous laughter that had the men telling him and Steve about that particular day and the havoc she caused. Mathew speaks up over the others with a crooked grin and a roll of his brown eyes. "And let us not forget the absolute shit she almost landed us in that day." He laughs when she glares at him.