I Have A Son To Think About!!
“I’m NOT marrying him!” Exclaimed Steph.
“You need to!” Argued Phillips.
“I can’t!”
Steph and General Phillips had been arguing for quite some time now, going back and forth while King James and the Noblewoman watched. Phillips and Steph had forgotten they were there to be honest.
Steph ended the argument by saying “I also have a son to think about!” Phillips went quiet at that, he had clearly not considered the fact that Steph had a son.
Steph sucked in a shaky breath and let it out slowly. “Mama?” Asked a small voice. Steph spun around and saw Alex. “Hey buddy. What’s up?” She asked, smiling as his big, blue eyes gazed up at her from where she had settled him on her hip. “Why were you and Uncle Phillips yelling?” He asked.
Steph gnawed on her lip before answering. “I’ll tell you later.” She promised. Alex started squirming to be put down. Steph gently lowered her son to the ground and promptly grinned at how he stumbled when his little feet touched the ground. She kneeled on the ground and exclaimed “Wait! You’re forgetting something! Kiss tax!”
Alex stopped short and quickly raced back to her as fast as his little legs could carry him. He planted a big kiss on her cheek as she grabbed him and smothered him in kisses. “Ok. Now you can go.” She stated, satisfied. Alex giggled and was about to run off when he noticed King James and Lady Margaret standing in the corner.
“Bucky! Do you have any candy?” Alex barreled toward King James, too fast for Steph to catch him. He had inherited her running legs.
Steph’s eyes widened and she got ready to grab her son, but was shocked when Alex latched onto King James’s leg. King James kneeled down and said to Alex “I do, but shouldn’t you ask your mama if you can have some? My mama didn’t want me to have candy before lunch.”
Alex turned pleading eyes on Steph and begged “Can I have some? Please mama? Pleaseee?”
Steph blinked. “Have you had these before?” She asked.
King James stood up and offered “You can taste these if you want, but Alex has been taking these from me for the past week.” Steph’s heart stuttered in her chest when she heard that, but then she took the sweet from King James’s hand and popped it into her mouth. The flavor burst over her tongue, but she was able to conclude that it wasn’t poisoned.
“Isn’t it good, mama? Can I have one?” Asked Alex. “Yes, they are good. But, as… Bucky?” Steph looked over to King James for clarification. He nodded. She continued speaking. “But as Bucky pointed out, it’s before lunch. You can have it after lunch.” Decided Steph.
Alex groaned but nodded. He looked at King James and held out his hand. “Can you give it to me? I’ll eat it after lunch?” He looked up and King James pleadingly. King James chuckled and handed the sweet to Steph instead. Steph pocketed it. “Your Mama can give it to you when she wants.” He told Alex.
“But Bucky!” Protested Alex. “Alex. Me and Bucky have some things to talk about. Go and eat lunch please. Go with Uncle Phillips.” Alex nodded and slipped his hand into Phillips’s obediently.
After Steph saw them leave, she turned to King James. “Explain. Now.” She said firmly.
King James smiled cryptically. Steph clenched her jaw. “Everything will be explained later.” He said.
“He calls you Bucky.” She stated instead. “Why? How do you go from James to Bucky? If you want a nickname, go with Jimmy or Jamie.”
“It comes from my middle name, Buchanan.”
“James Buchanan? Like the President?” Asked Steph, confused. “So what’s your full name then?” She asked. King James arched a brow. “We’re going to be married. I think I at least deserve to know your full name.”
King James asked “So you agree to marry me?”
“Don’t change the subject. What’s your full name?”
King James sighed. “It’s James Buchanan Barnes. There. Happy now?”
Steph smiled. “Very.”
“What’s yours?”
“I get the feeling you already know.”
“I don’t, actually.”
Steph sighed. “Stephanie Grace Rogers. But if you call me Stephanie, I will punch you."
King James chuckled and replied “If you want me to call you Steph, then I must insist on you calling me Bucky.”
Steph nodded.
King James cocked his head to the side and observed Steph. “You were very quick to talk to me after saying you wouldn’t marry me. Why?”
Steph sighed. “Because, well… Alex. He has a good sense of people and who he trusts. If he trusts you, then you can’t be all that bad.”
King James nodded before saying “Would you like to take a walk, my L- Steph?” He quickly corrected himself. “We could get to know each other better.”
To her surprise, Steph found herself saying yes. The two of them set off into the gardens together, talking about flowers, of all things.