April Showers | Bucky Barnes x Reader AU

17 | build me up, buttercup

A/N: short chapter this time around but there will be another (hopefully longer) one coming up in the next few days. Please vote and comment and thank you for reading!

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I'm choosing happiness over suffering. I know I am. I'm making space for the unknown future to fill up my life with yet-to-come surprises."
Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert

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"How's it going, Buck?"

Bucky leans on the wall outside April's school. He's been in England for three weeks now but he's on pick up duty alone for the first time today.

He had tried to get Y/N to come with him, begged with kisses and an offer to do that thing she likes once April's gone to bed tonight, but she insisted that he would be fine on his own. The school knows who he is and April will be ecstatic over her dad waiting for her in the playground, apparently.

Bucky toes at the curb and checks his phone for the time. Five minutes and he'll join the other parents. His palms are so sweaty, why is he so nervous?

"Bucky?" Steve's voice echos from the one AirPod lodged in his ear.

"Sorry, Steve. It's good. I'm good." He replies after backtracking in his head to remember what Steve had asked. "I really like it here."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, I think... shi—" Bucky pauses, recons for small ears before he continues, "shit, Steve... what uh, what do you think about opening a London office?"

"You wanna stay there?" Steve asks. If he's shocked, he hides it well.

"My family is here."

"Buck."

"New York isn't good for me, Steve. I think we're both well aware of that. Did I tell you I've been going to meetings?"

Steve sighs.

"Yeah, you told me. I just don't want you diving head first into big life changes, pal. Really think about it."

"I have. I've discussed it with Y/N and I just think it's the best thing for me, for us, and for the business. You know how much I loved setting up the New York office, I'll get to do that again."

"We'll talk about it when you're back." Steve resigns, "this needs to be a company decision, not a Bucky Barnes one."

Bucky frowns even though he was anticipating Steve's reaction. They've butt heads too many times over the years for it to be in any way a surprise to him, but it doesn't stop the bubbling irritation from spilling over.

"Yeah, whatever." He mutters. "Because God forbid I actually make good choices for a change. But then where would you be, Steve? Huh? If you're not making yourself look good by picking up the pieces?"

"Bucky—"

"I gotta go pick my kid up from school."

Bucky hangs up, disgruntled, and shoves his AirPods away. He enters the playground, moving to the spot he and Y/N usually wait in together. A few other parents give him a courteous nod in greeting and he nods back with a polite smile. 

"This needs to be a company decision." He mocks, still grumbling over his phone call with Steve. "I'm the CEO for cryin—"

"Dad!"

And just like that his mood is lifted.

"Hey, trouble! Good day?"

April latches herself onto him, arms wrapped tightly around his middle. Bucky begins to walk with her standing on his feet as she looks up at him with her chin pressed to his stomach.