Witch Hunt || Stucky ✔

XIV - Hoping For The Best

James sits up on the shore on the rock watching as Steve fetches his daughters, Elizabeth and Grace, so they can tell them about them being together. He's got no idea how this is going to down, and he's afraid that the girls might not be okay with this. If they're not, he can easily leave to find another town.

Except, he doesn't want to find another town. He very much likes it here, and he'd like to stay here forever if he could. But it's only a matter of time before something goes wrong. Unfortunately for them all, today might just be that day if the girls aren't okay with him being with their father....

If they are okay with it, then they don't have anything to worry about with this whole situation. But there's still the chance of things going wrong for all of them. If his secret gets out, then he's a dead man, and this time, he may just give up and let them kill him. He's tired of running, and just wants somewhere he can call a home permanently.

Getting lost in his thoughts, James doesn't even notice Stevce and the girls walking over to him, until Steve takes his shoulder lightly once they get over to him.

Shaking his head, he looks up at them. "We ready?" He asks, standing up.

Steve nods, before the four of them go sit up on the grass near the trees.

Neither of the men know how to tell the girls about them, but they've got to tell them now before they find out themselves. Steve really doesn't want the girls to find out for themselves, and would rather tell them himself. James on the other hand, just wants to get it over with.

"Girls." Steve starts. "James and I, we have something to tell you, but we're not sure how well you'll both take it." He says.

"Father, you can tell us." Elizabeth says, sensing her fathers nervousness about the situation.

But, James notices her cast a glance over in his direction suspiciously. He knows that she doesn't particularly like him still, but she's managed to get along with him as best as she can for Steve's sake.

Though, James is almost certain that she's highly suspicious of him, and that she thinks he's up to something. Luckily for them all though, he's not up to something. Just hiding the fact that he's a witch from them.

Looking over at Steve as though he seems to be at a loss for words, James sighs and turns to the girls. Supposing that he should tell them, seeing as though Steve doesn't appear to be able to find the words.

"Elizabeth, Grace." James starts, looking over to the girls, then back to Steve who's now watching him. "Your father and I are together." James says, grabbing a hold of Steve's hand, before turning back to the girls. "And have been for about a month now."

Both girls are silent as they look between both James and their father. The pair of them not sure on what to say to what they've just been told.

James notices Steve looking anywhere but at his daughters, and he gives his hand a reassuring squeeze. Though, it didn't really seem to do much to calm Steve's nerves. But James doesn't blame him for being nervous about this all. His daughters now know that he is with him, and they've yet to say anything to either of them about it.

"Father?" Elizabeth finally asks. "Is what James is saying true?"

Steve sighs, nodding his head. "Yes, it is." He says.

"But, what about mother?" Grace asks.

"Your mother is dead." Steve sighs, shaking his head. "She would've wanted me to move on from her eventually."

"With another man?" Elizabeth asks. "Father, is this even allowed?"

Both Steve and James look between one another. The both of them aren't entirely sure if it is allowed, all they know is that it's wrong and frowned upon. But there isn't anywhere to say that it's not allowed. James has been around relations like himself and Steve before though. He was technically in one during his time as a pirate, but it was really more or less sexual relations with the captain.

"We're not entirely sure." Steve says. "We know it's considered wrong and frowned upon, but there isn't exactly anywhere that says it's not allowed."

"It's kind of common in pirates." James says. "Seeing as there's usually never any women aboard the ships and the men have needs." He explains.

Elizabeth looks over at him curiously. "How do you know that?" She asks.

"I was a pirate a few years back for a couple months." He says. "I was, kind of in a, well, sexual relation with the captain during my time as a pirate."

Steve turns to James. "You were in sexual relations with your captain?" He asks, a little surprised at that as he had never mentioned that to him. "You never mentioned that before."

James shrugs. "I didn't really think it needed to be mentioned." He says. "And, my captain was fairly good looking."

They all fall silent after that, no one really knowing what to say, the girls especially not knowing what to say about their father and James being together. Both of the girls had a feeling that there was something that their father wasn't telling them, but they didn't expect it to be this. They weren't really expecting him to be with the new comer, James Barnes, but it seems like he is now, and they don't really know what to say about it.

"I guess this is okay." Elizabeth starts. "It is a little weird. But your our father, and we still love you." She says, looking over at Steve, before turning to James. "I still don't trust you though."

James nods, completely understanding that she still doesn't trust him. The fact that he basically admitted to her that he used to be a pirate a few years back probably didn't help with her not trusting him either. But what's done is done.

"Fair enough." He nods, before looking over at Steve. "You okay?" He asks.

Steve shrugs, before looking over at James, smiling a little. "I'm fine." He says. "Well, now I am anyway." He them turns to his daughters. "Thank you both for being okay with this."

Both girls nod, before moving closer to Steve and hugging him.

James sits back, smiling as the girls hug their father. He's glad that the girls are okay with all of this, even though Elizabeth still doesn't trust him. He's not too sure if Grace trusts him or not though, but she does seem to like him, so he's going to take that as a good thing.

"Welcome to the family, Bucky." Grace says, taking James by surprise as she hugs him tight.

Smiling down at her, he hugs her back. Looking over at Steve, he smiles more, as he realizes just how much of an impact Steve and his daughters have made in his life. He realizes just how lucky he was to have met them, and that hurts the most.

They don't know about his secret, and when they do find out, everything is just going to go all wrong from there. He doesn't want to get them involved with it, but from the moment he had stopped to rest in Steve's barn, was the moment he had gotten Steve and his daughters into this mess.

He has no idea of how long it'll last until they ultimately find out about his witchery, and what'll happen once they do find out. For now though, he supposes he could stay here, until then, and as soon as they know, he'll leave and never come back. Or, he'll just let himself be captured and executed.

He likes it here too much to leave right now, and he's just going to wait it all out for a while longer. He's tired of running after all, and he's going to make the most of it here, before his time is up.

But the question is, how long will it all last before it all falls apart, and his time here has come to an end?