adventures in parenthood

haunting past

In the evening, I'm making dinner. Bucky is sitting on the opposite side of the counter, handing me papers to sign every few minutes. Billy and Tommy walk up to the island and sit on either side of Bucky.

"Mr. Bucky? Are we uncles now?" Tommy asks.

"No, you're cousins."

"Oh," they say in unison.

They walk away. I give Bucky a confused look. "So we're calling everyone aunts and uncles?"

"Why not? It's better to have too many people than not enough."

"That's true, I suppose."

Once the paperwork is finally signed, Bucky takes the stack of papers to Tony so he can mail them or fax them or whatever he needs to do.

When Bucky returns, he's barely containing laughter.

"You won't believe this, doll."

"What are they doing now?"

"Natasha's telling her never to listen to Tony, Steve and Wanda are both knitting things for her, Vision is... being Vision, I guess? Billy and Tommy are going around chanting 'cousins', Thor is freaking out because Charlotte started chewing on his cape, Loki is turning into different animals to make her laugh, Sam and Tony are coming up with different gadgets to make her, and Bruce is playing peekaboo with her."

"That's... a lot. Dinner's done, will you be a doll and start serving?"

"Number one, 'be a doll'? That's my line. Number two, I've already served, doll."

I roll my eyes. "You know what I meant, baby. I gotta go feed Charlie."

"Oh, now everyone has a nickname?"

I chuckle and walk off. I pick Charlotte up from Nat and tell everyone dinner will be ready soon. Billy and Tommy rush to the bathroom to wash their hands. I walk down to our room to get a bottle for Charlie, and Loki follows me.

"I take it your fiance told you about what I was doing?"

"We're not engaged yet, but he did tell me."

She sighs, leaning against the doorframe of Bucky and I's room. "You know, I would've been just as good for you."

"Loki..."

"I mean it, darling." He walks in, turning me around while Charlotte's still in my arms. If my hands weren't preoccupied, I would have punched them then and there. "I care about you. I- I love you, still. Doesn't that mean anything?" She leans in, almost like he's gonna kiss me. I'm against the wall, so I can't pull away.

Bucky's voice chimes in, just in the nick of time. "Dinner's ready," he says coldly. Loki nods curtly and gives me a longing glance before walking off.

Bucky's eyes follow them, closing the door once she's far enough away. "Did they touch you? God, did he hurt you? I swear-"

"She touched me but they- but they didn't hurt me. I just... Nevermind. I think I'll stay here for the night."

Bucky shakes his head. "No. No, I'm gonna fucking kill him-"

"Buck, no. They're not worth it. She's not even worth a second thought, really."

"They backed you into a corner while you were holding our child! I'm not letting him get away with that."

"Neither am I, I promise. We'll talk to her, together. After dinner. I'm starving."

"Okay. Okay, you're right. But if they try to pull this shit again-"

"You have my full permission to beat him senseless."

"Perfect." He takes Charlotte from my arms and takes my hand in his free one, making me feel safer as we walk to the dining room.

At dinner, Bucky's on my right and Natasha's on my left. Either word travels fast or Nat's been spying on me, which I can never tell, because she's glaring at Loki the whole time. Bucky asks Loki to help wash dishes after dinner, and they oblige nervously.

While they wash dishes, I stand on the opposite end of the kitchen island pretending to talk to Wanda about the baby.

"Loki-" Bucky begins.

She interrupts him. "It will never happen again. You have my word."

"See, here's the thing. If you were anyone else, I might believe you. And I mean anyone."

"I understand, but-"

"I am talking. Okay? I am talking, and you are listening. I'm only gonna say this once, so you better listen carefully. If you ever, and I mean ever, touch my partner without their go-ahead again, you will meet the business end of my fist. The metal one."

"Yes, of course. Never again," they reply, his voice quivering.

"Great to hear. So we're good?"

"We are."

"Wonderful. Why don't you finish washing the dishes?" Bucky asks rhetorically before walking over to me.

Wanda squeezes my arm and walks off. Bucky and I walk down the hallway hand in hand.

"Are you sure you're gonna be okay, doll?"

"Yeah, I think so." We continue walking in silence for a few moments. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about my past with Loki."

"No, hey, don't do that. This is not on you."

"I know. I also know you got jealous of them today."

He rubs the back of his neck, looking at the ground. "...I'll admit, I might've been a little unkind. I meant that threat though."

"I know you did. I'm actually glad you did."

We reach our bedroom door and walk in quietly. Steve's holding a sleeping Charlotte on his chest.

"Thanks, man," Bucky says softly.

"No problem. I'm happy to help. And if you need help with your Loki problem..."

"We've got it handled," I assure him.

"Let me know if that changes."

The door closes quietly and he's gone. Bucky puts Charlotte in her crib and we get ready to go to bed.

"What did they say to you anyway?" Bucky asks quietly.

"Who, Loki?"

"Yeah."

"She said that they'd have been just as good for me as you are."

He nods, and we sit in silence for a few beats. "Did you believe him?"

"No. She was lying anyway."

"Okay. Okay, good." He kisses me softly. I rest my head on his chest and fall asleep to the sound of his heartbeat.