Love over Blood - Bucky Barnes

Chapter Twenty-Two

Opal's POV

December is a busy month. Not only do we have a shit tone of gifts to buy but we also have have a lot of new furniture to get for the new house. We decided to start fresh, buy everything together. We hired people to paint and carpet/floor the house, James wasn't happy about it but he's not exactly the handyman he likes to think he is. He tried to set up my dressing table- what a disaster. After that excitement, we had the team help out. Tony set up all the electrical things whilst Steve and Sam helped put the furniture together. There were a lot of late nights and take outs but it was also nice to spend so much time with them. We officially moved in at the start of this week and it's been great. Me and James have the biggest bedroom which is saying something as they're all huge. There's 4 all together. James decided on a queen sized bed, god knows why but I can't say it isn't fun. There's a lot more room for you know what. Also, we managed to fit all of Hunter's new toys in, it was quite easy too. We would have never been able to do that at our old place, thank god Tony let us keep them at the compound.

Hunter finishes school in a week ready for Christmas and I'm almost done buying presents, I just have a few more things to get James. So far I've gotten him 4 different aftershaves, a Rolex watch, a metal chain to replace his dog tags that I never take off and a new motorcycle. He sold his a few weeks back so he could have a car, our garage is big enough for our two cars and two more so I thought he'd appreciate that. None of them feel personal though, so I'm looking around the mall hoping to find something. You're probably wondering where I'm getting all of this money from too, well the thing is I've been saving up all year. It's a thing I started doing when I first moved to New York, I don't make the most money at the coffee house so I'd do a few odd jobs around the place and save up as much as I could to make Christmas the best for Hunter. This year I've been secretly helping out Bruce and Tony in the lab, I took a few science classes and attended a few college classes whilst I was in high school before I got pregnant. I'm not the smartest but I know a thing or two. I didn't tell James because he'd just insist on combining our bank accounts. I don't like that idea though, I want to make my own money, not just take from him. When we're married it'll be different but not right now.

I've been in so many stores but can't seem to find anything that James would like. Just as I'm about to give up I notice something, it's a pet store with a sign on the window "Closing tomorrow, need gone ASAP", I decide to take a look. As I walk in everything is boxed up and all the cages seem to be empty. A teenager stands behind the desk "Hey, if you were looking for a puppy I'm sorry but we're all out, we're kinda out of everything", I smile "It's nice that they all had a home before you closed" he frowns "All but her" he points to a cage in the corner. I walk over and see a small white kitten huddled up to a pile of newspaper, shivering. "Yeah, no one wanted her. It's kinda drafty in here too", "What will happen to her?" I ask knowing I'll regret it "She'll go to the pound where they'll put her down if she's not adopted in a week. The odds ain't great, it's almost Christmas and people tend to get their pets early", I put my hand up against the cage and the kitten stumbles over and rubs her head up against the glass "I'll take her" I smile. I leave the store with a bed, scratching post, food, bowls,  a litter box and toys. I don't know where I'm going to hide her until Christmas, I guess she's an early present. I remember James telling me how he's always wanted a cat so I just had to get her.

I walk through the door and put everything down in the spare room, hoping James doesn't see them before I get back from the vets. I want her checked out and to have all her shots first.

An hour later I hide her under my coat and walk through the door. James meets me in the hallway "I think I may have made a mistake" he laughs "I was freaking out over Christmas and I bought something that I'll have to give you like right now", I laugh "Same thing happened with me". James let's put a deep breath "On the count of three we both show what we got?". I nod my head. "One...Two...Three" we both pull out our surprises for the other. We stand there both in shock, not only am I holding a white kitten, but James is holding a blue puppy. We both silently walk into the living room and place the pets down on the floor "So we have a cat and a dog?" I smile, he chuckles and pulls me into a hug "You don't realise how happy you just made me", "Thank-you James. I've always wanted a puppy".

We play with them for what feels like hours, James decide to name the kitten Alpine, I went with chunk for my new staffy. They seem to get on great, chunk mistakes alpine as a pillow though and she doesn't seem to like that.

When Hunter comes home from school he's ecstatic with our new additions to the family. I'm meeting Cindy for lunch in an hour so I decide to go get ready, James has a game night planned for him and Hunter and I remind him that there's food in the microwave.

Bucky's POV

We have a few rounds of connect 4 and then Hunter decides he wants to watch paw patrol. We lie on the couch wrapped up in blankets while Alpine and Chunk are fast asleep in their beds. "Are you still going to be my dad when mommy has the baby?", I turn my head from the TV so fast I think I may have whiplash "What? Why would you ask that?", "Because you'll be their real dad". I pull him on my lap and snuggle him into me "I'm your real dad too. Just because we're not related by blood doesn't mean we aren't by love. I love you so much Hunter and that isn't going to change, okay?", he relaxes into my arms "I love you too. I can't wait to have a baby brother or sister", "You'll be a great big brother". I can't believe he thought that, I feel awful.

Opal comes home around an hour after Hunter's put to bed. I tell her our conversation "He just needed to be reassured that's all, you're the best dad" she says as she plants a kiss on my cheek. I stand up from the dining table and wrap my arms around her waist "I can't wait for you to get fat", she gasps playfully "James Buchanan Barnes! Is that how you talk to your pregnant fiancé?"I laugh against her neck "I've been reading a lot about pregnancy so I'm prepared for your all your meanness and anger outbursts" she slaps my shoulder "Watch it you" she points "Come on, it's your turn to do the dishes tonight" I kiss her forehead "Yes ma'am" I smirk. I really have been reading up on pregnancy, I want to be prepared for everything. Bruce says that we're extremely lucky we didn't lose it but if we had taken any longer to find Opal then it might not have made it. I tend not to give that much thought as it scares the life out of me.