Part Time Superhero: A Bucky/Steve Fanfic

The Kids

"Dad! DAAAAAAAD!" Screamed Finn Rogers at the top of her lungs. Her father came barreling around the corner, looking for trouble, but instead found his two kids tumbling together on the ground. He reached for Beckett and pulled him out of the fight, which didn't stop the little boy from swinging his fists. Finn stuck out her tongue and then collapsed to the ground, petting the hair of one of her Barbie dolls.

"What's going on here?" Asked Steve Rogers in a stern voice, but his mouth was hinting on a smile. He knew how to be mean to his team and his soldiers, but to his kids, Captain America was a wuss.

Finn glares at Beckett, "Beckett drew with Sharpie on my Barbies!" She wailed and held up a mutilated doll. "Look, daddy!"

"Only because you wouldn't play with me!" Protested Beckett. Finn glared at her twin brother, a Barbie doll clenched in her tiny fist, "That's 'cause I wanted to play with my dolls by myself!"

"That's not fair!" Screamed Beckett. This, of course, set off a barrage of screaming insults and accusations between the twins.

Captain America racked a hand through his blond hair and yelled for Bucky. When the Winter Soldier came running into Finn's and Beckett's room, he was met with two fighting kids and a very-stressed out dad. Bucky's mangy hair was tied into a pony tail at the base of his neck, he was sporting a Captain America t-shirt, and he was still wearing his weathered and torn heather-gray sweatpants. It looked like he had just dragged himself out of bed. The Winter Soldier sighed and kissed the Captain's cheek before pulling Beckett and Finn away from each other.

"Beckett, say sorry." The Winter Soldier demanded. Beckett crossed his arms in determination before apologizing.

"Finn, now you." Bucky asked. She sighed dramatically, but said sorry to her brother.

"Good. Now, hug." He said, pushing the two together. They laughed, their frowns turned to giggles as Bucky squished them into a bear hug. Steve chuckled, he loved how Bucky could calm down the twins. And believe him when he said, the twins needed plenty of calming down. Beckett was forever messing something up of his sister's, and Finn was always ignoring her brother. The Captain hoped that, as they grew older, they would grow closer, but he had yet to see that. It didn't matter, the twins were only six years old, they had plenty of time. And according to several online articles, siblings rarely liked each other until they grew older. Steve sighed, at least Bucky was here to help. Ever since the twin's mother died a year ago, things hadn't been the same. Claudia was the one who had kept Steve grounded, the only one who had reminded him who he was first and foremost. That he was only a part-time superhero, but a full-time dad. He still remembered the first time she had said it to him, what seemed like a million years ago.

The twins had been four and their preschool was doing a show on life under the ocean. Finn was a pink hermit crab and Beckett was a sea anemone. Steve remembered practicing lines with the kids until going to sleep, he remembered how hard Claudia worked on the twin's costumes, and most of all, he remembered all three of his family members constantly reminding him the date of the show. However, when the day came, Claudia found herself alone in the audience. Every five seconds, she checked for Steve entering the small auditorium and she called him again. Eventually, after the show had been delayed a whopping seven minutes, the twin's teacher came to Claudia and told her that she needed her backstage. When Claudia made her way back there, she found her two kids wailing on the ground, pounding on the floor, and throwing a huge temper tantrum. Claudia threw her purse down and ran to comfort the twins.

"What's wrong?" She asked after hugging them both. The twins hiccuped out, "Where's daddy? Our teacher tells us that he's not in the audience!" Claudia glared at the teacher, who shrugged, and mouthed out, "I had to tell the truth."

Claudia petted Finn's long blonde curls and wiped a tear from Beckett's face before whispering, "Remember what daddy said when you forgot your lines?" The two nodded and said in unison, "The show must go on." Claudia nodded, urged the twins to go on with the show, and promised that she would take a video for their dad.

After the show, Claudia congratulated the twins, gave them bouquets, and took their picture with the other students. At the last second, Steve ran through the front door of the school with a disappointed look on his face as he realized the show was already over. He came over and blubbered, "I was hoping to make a bit of-" before Claudia interrupted him, "May we talk somewhere else?" She pulled him over to an empty hallway.

Steve choked out, "I'm so sorry, there was work, I couldn't leave-", but once again Claudia interrupted him. She poked a finger on his chest, "Don't you dare give me excuses, Rogers. The kids were counting on you being here. We delayed the show for ten minutes, waiting for you. They were throwing a temper tantrum backstage! You promised that you would come and when you didn't, they got hurt. I don't want to hear how important your job is; I know how important your job is, but I want to remind you that, when we decided to have kids, your first and foremost important duty became them. I don't want to here about your stupid and important and amazing job. I just want you to understand, ever since Finn and Beckett were born, you became a part-time superhero. Okay? Your most important job is to them now. I don't want to ever see you show up late again." And with that, Claudia hugged him and whispered in his ear, "I took a video of their performance. They were great. I'll show it to you when we get home."

And that was exactly why Steve had fallen in love with her. He need that spunk and sternness in his life, but he also needed the undying sympathy and love. Those four things-spunk, sternness, sympathy, and love-where also why he had fallen in love with his long-time friend and comrade in arms, Bucky Barnes.