New York was...well, it was New York. For the past four years, all Karli ever heard from Bucky was how much he loved living in New York. He loved Brooklyn, and Karli understood now, not that she would ever admit that.
To be honest, Karli wasn’t quite sure what made her pick New York. It could have been an unconscious decision based on the subliminal messages Bucky put in her head. It could have been because NYU Law was ranked sixth in the world. Or, there was a teeny tiny slight possibility that Karli chose to go to New York because that was where Maya said she was going.
But, no, that would be crazy. She wouldn’t have picked to go to a school across the country because of a girl she had one conversation with. It had to be one of the reasons. Karli was positive that it was one of the other reasons.
Besides, Karli was going to be busy in school anyway. Law school was going to be the most challenging thing she had ever done, and she was literally super human. First year law students aren’t even allowed to get a job. That’s how busy they are in school. So, she wouldn’t have time to find and fall in love with a girl anyway.
Speaking of the lack of free time, it became very clear that Karli wasn’t going to be able to go home to see her family as often as she would have liked. Realistically, she would only really be able to go after the first semester, spring break, and then for the summer. Sam and Bucky had discussed going to New York for spring break instead of Karli having to go to Delacroix, so that was a possibility as well.
All Karli knew was that she was swamped beyond belief and it was still months until she was going to be able to see her family again. But, she was in the greatest city in the world, and she absolutely loved the work she was doing.
Karli had decided about halfway through college that she was going to be a civil rights attorney. She wanted to help the underdogs. That was all she ever wanted to do. With this degree, she was finally going to be able to do that, so she couldn’t complain all that much.
Every day was the same. She would wake up at the crack of dawn, go get coffee at the place next to her apartment, and get on the subway to go to campus. She would go to class all day, hop back on the subway, and head back to the coffee shop to study. Then, she would go home, eat dinner, facetime Sam, Bucky, and Rory, and go to bed. Rinse and repeat. Day in and day out.
Karli was loving her little routine. It was working for her and she was happy. Would it have been nice to have some friends and some fun? Sure, but that could be a second half of the year problem. For now she was settling into her new life, and she was doing just fine on her own.
“I don’t like you being in that big city all alone, Karli,” Sam told her one night when they were on their nightly facetime. Karli just scoffed. “I’m serious, Karli.”
“Dad, I’m quite literally indestructible,” Karli reminded him. “I can take care of myself. And, I know that you have that spider kid keeping an eye on me from Queens.”
“How did you know about that?” Sam asked incredulously.
“Because I watch my back,” she told him simply. “I know everything that happens around here. Seriously you have nothing to worry about. I’ve got it all under control.”
“She’s fine, Sam,” Bucky assured him. “Don’t forget that she beat you in a fight once. She can take care of herself.”
“It doesn’t mean I have to like it,” Sam muttered. “Please tell me you’ve at least tried to make friends. You need to branch out.”
“I’m branching out,” Karli lied. “You know that I have friends at the coffee shop.”
“Yes, yes, right.”
Karli rolled her eyes. “How are you guys? How’s my little man?”
“I’m great!” Rory yelled, taking the phone from Sam’s hands. “Dad let me start helping out at the restaurant with Aunt Sarah. I can’t cook anything yet, but he let me clean the shrimp yesterday. Did you know there’s poop in them and you have to take it out?”
“I did know that, buddy,” Karli replied with a smile. “How’s school?”
“It’s good. It’s only first grade, not law school. Lots of picture books and subtraction.”
“I wish I was doing picture books and subtraction,” Karli told him. “I would kill to be back in first grade.”
Rory scoffed. “No you wouldn’t. It’s boring. You get to live all alone in New York and do whatever you want.”
“I don’t really get to do whatever I want. I just have to study and go to school. Same as you but I do it here,” Karli explained. “Plus, I don’t get to see you guys every day, so it’s not all that fun.”
“That’s true,” Rory agreed, nodding and pushing his glasses up. Then, he grinned. “Oh, Karli, I forgot to tell you! Me and Pop taught Alpine how to chase Redwing around. Dad gets so mad but it’s funny.”
“It’s not funny. She’s going to break him,” Sam stated, but Karli could see that he was smiling.
“It’s awesome,” Bucky told her, smirking. “You should get to sleep soon, sweetie. You can’t bring people justice on a few hours of sleep.”
“I don’t bring people justice,” Karli countered.
Bucky tutted. “Not yet you don’t. We’ll talk to you tomorrow, pea. Sweet dreams. I love you.”
“Love you too, pop. Love you Dad and Rory. Goodnight guys.”
“Night, K! Love you!” Rory exclaimed.
Sam took the phone back with a smile. “Goodnight, Karls. I love you and I can’t wait to see you soon. I’m sorry if I’m overbearing. I just worry sometimes. Last time you were in New York…”
“Dad, I’m fine,” Karli reminded him, and it was good to hear. They both knew that Sam was never going to be able to fully recover from everything that happened that day. “I promise. You don’t need to worry about me. I’ve got this city wrapped around my finger.”
...
Karli was so busy with school in fact that the first semester absolutely flew by. It was just coffee, class, coffee, studying, coffee, facetime with the family, sleep day in and day out, and then it was time to go home for winter break.
She was set to fly to Delacroix in a few hours, so she stopped at the coffee shop. She didn’t give herself that much time, and she was in a little bit of a rush. She was in so much of a rush that she didn’t look before turning around and walking directly into someone as she was leaving. She ended up spilling her drink all over the poor person’s shoes.
“Oh, no, I’m so, so sorry,” Karli apologized immediately. She looked up to see a familiar face. A face that she had been searching for in every crowd but she never seemed to find. “Maya?”
“We have to stop meeting like this,” Maya drawled, smirking slightly. “I see you made your way to New York after all.”
“Yeah, I just started at NYU’s law school this semester,” Karli explained sheepishly. Maya grinned.
“I’m at NYU for med school. You live in Brooklyn?” Maya asked. Karli just nodded, unable to say anything. “Me too. Do you come here a lot? My apartment is a few blocks away, but I’ve never been.”
Karli nodded. “Every day. More than once a day actually. I spend most of my time here.”
“I knew there was a reason I wanted to come here,” Maya flirted, and Karli blushed a deep red. “I’d imagine the coffee is good then. Why don’t I buy you another?”
“I would love to like really I would,” Karli told her, hoping she didn’t sound too desperate, “but I’m catching a flight back to Delacroix, and I’m already late.”
“Well, next time then. I don’t plan on letting you go that easy, Karli,” Maya replied, and Karli was now certain that she was dead and in heaven. “Wish Delacroix my best. I haven’t been back there since I graduated.”
Karli frowned. “Why’s that?”
“Nothing there for me anymore,” Maya said simply, eyes meeting Karli’s.
“Well, that’s not entirely true,” Karli told her, causing her to raise her eyebrows. Karli walked to the door but turned around before leaving. “Up until a few months ago, I was there. I’ll see you around, Maya.”
So, Karli headed to the airport without a coffee but having enough energy to walk to Louisiana.
...
Winter break was exactly what Karli needed. No homework, time with her family, and heat. Glorious heat! Karli had gotten used to the constant cold in New York for the past three months, but she missed the Delacroix weather, even if it was only 60 degrees in December.
Every day while Karli was home was spent with her family. She played with Rory, cooked with Sam and Bucky, had girl talk with Sarah, and even listened to AJ and Cass complain. It was good to be home.
“What do you want for dinner tonight?” Sam asked Karli on her last night there. “You get to pick.”
“Why should I get to pick? Are we forgetting what day it is?” Karli questioned. She looked at everyone expectantly. She rolled her eyes. “It’s been exactly one year since Rory came to live with us.”
“It’s only been a year?” Bucky wondered. “I feel like Rory has been around forever.”
“How could we forget about such an important anniversary?” Sam asked, hugging Rory tightly. “Do you want to pick dinner?”
“I got to pick dinner last year though. It’s not fair if I pick two years in a row,” Rory told them.
Karli smiled at him. “How about we pick together?”
“I don’t think that gumbo and mac and cheese really go together,” Bucky joked. Karli glared at him.
“That’s not what we were going to pick,” Karli replied.
“That’s exactly what we were going to pick,” Rory stated. Karli looked at him shocked.
“You’re supposed to be on my side!”
“Okay, well, I’m starving,” Sam informed the room. “How about I pick? I’m personally in the mood for pizza. Anyone else?”
“Karli isn’t going to want Delacroix pizza after being in New York for months,” Bucky scoffed. “She finally got a taste of the good stuff.”
“Don’t talk shit on Delacroix pizza!”
“Yeah, pop, calm down. They’re both equally good,” Karli told him with a wink.
“Whatever, I’m ordering anyway,” Sam said, grabbing his phone and the menu. “And I’m getting clams on one of the pizzas.”
“Gross!” Rory and Bucky called as Sam left the room. Karli just laughed.
“Pea, you need to try Ramanos’ Pizza,” Bucky told her, smiling widely. “It was around way back in my day, and now the old owner’s grandson runs it. I went back when I lived in Brooklyn, and it was just as good as it was when…”
Karli looked at him expectantly. “When what?”
Bucky met her eyes and she saw something sad behind them. “When I went on my first date there.”
Karli’s face dropped, but Rory smiled. “Was your first date fun?”
“It was very fun,” Bucky told Rory with a soft smile. “I took him to Ramanos’, and then we walked around the neighborhood and looked at the lights. It was cold, so I gave him my jacket. It was great, but it had nothing on my first date with dad.”
“You never had a first date with dad,” Karli told him, rolling her eyes.
“I did too,” Bucky defended. He winked at Karli. “It was in a field of flowers.”
“Oh my god. You are so annoying,” Karli groaned, remembering the day he was talking about exactly.
“He is annoying,” Sam said as he entered the room again. “Pizza is on its way. What are we talking about?”
“First dates,” Rory supplied. “Pop was just telling us about yours.”
“Which one? The one where he ripped the steering wheel out of my car or the one where he ambushed me at my place of work? Oh, or when he helped me fix the boat?”
“You guys are so weird. You’ve been together for four years. You’re literally married. How have you never been on a date?”
Sam kissed Bucky before sitting down on the couch. “Every second I spend with Bucky is a date. That’s how it works when you find the love of your life.”
...
So, yes, winter break was great, but being back in New York was also great. All Karli was able to think about on her trip home was Maya, and the first date talk didn’t help at all. There was a large possibility that she was going to run into Maya now that she was back, and sure, she was excited but she was also incredibly nervous.
It wasn’t like Karli was actively looking for Maya. She was just going to the coffee shop like she did every other day. If Maya just so happened to be there, then that would be an added bonus.
It wasn’t until a few weeks later that Karli finally ran into Maya again. She was beginning to think that she was never going to see her again, but of course, that was not at all the case.
“Excuse me, miss, is anyone sitting here?” a voice asked from above Karli’s head. She looked up to see Maya grinning at her. She was lighting up the room, and Karli was convinced she was going to go blind if she looked for too long.
“It’s all yours,” Karli shot back with a matching smile.
“Almost like you were saving it for me,” Maya joked. Karli bit her lip.
“Almost.”
“So, what are we studying?” Maya asked, looking at Karli’s book. “Torts. Very exciting.”
“Yeah, no. Quite the opposite,” Karli responded, closing her book. “I’m done studying for the day anyway. I should be good for my next test.”
“Okay, smartie,” Maya said, hitting Karli’s foot with hers under the table. Karli blushed. “So, if you don’t have too much studying to do this weekend, do you think that we could hang out?”
“Oh, uh, yeah definitely.”
Maya smiled. “Good. I would love to spend more than five minutes at a time with you.”
“Me too,” Karli said softly. She looked down at the table and looked up again. “I actually, um, I have a place I’d like to take you if that’s alright.”
“Of course, that's alright,” Maya replied with her normal Maya smile. Karli didn’t think she would ever be able to get used to the feeling she got when Maya smiled at her, and she didn’t know if she wanted to.
“Wanna give me your number so I can text you the details?” Karli asked, kicking herself for being so forward, but Maya didn’t seem to mind.
“I thought you’d never ask. I was getting sick of only bumping into you by chance,” Maya joked, typing her number into Karli’s phone. “You better use that number.”
Karli smiled and looked down at the table. “I plan to.”
...
There were normal pre-date jitters, and then there was the all consuming fear of telling your crush that you used to kind of be a terrorist. Karli knew deep down that she wasn’t a terrorist, of course, but she also knew that a lot of people saw her as one.
Karli wasn’t entirely sure how Maya hadn’t realized that she was the Karli, but she was more than certain that she didn’t know. Because, if she had known, she never would have wanted to go out with Karli. That was something that Karli was sure of.
Normally, this would be something that Karli would talk to Sam and Bucky about, but she didn’t want them worrying about her. If Maya didn’t like her anymore once she knew, Karli didn’t want Sam and Bucky dealing with that. She wanted them to think that she was perfect and happy in New York.
Karli looked at herself in the mirror and took a breath. She knew who she was deep down. She knew she was a great person. She knew she wasn’t the horrible monster that people believed her to be. And, if Maya didn’t agree with that, then that was her problem. Karli would just have to find someone else who made her feel like she was flying.
With that, Karli put on her old leather jacket and headed to Maya’s apartment. She pressed the buzzer and waited for Maya to meet her at the door. She shoved her hands into her pockets and tried to calm her nerves.
“Hey,” Maya greeted when she walked outside wearing a sweater but no jacket.
“Hey, aren’t you gonna be cold?” Karli asked, causing Maya to shrug.
“I’m a big girl. I’ll be fine.”
Karli smiled as they began to walk. “So, have you ever been to Ramanos’?”
“Nope,” Maya replied, popping the p sound. Karli smiled.
“I haven’t either, but my dad- the one who grew up in Brooklyn- he raved about it,” Karli explained. She blushed thinking about the other part, but screw it, right? “He actually took his first boyfriend there on their first date.”
“And you were inspired?” Maya joked, knocking her shoulder in Karli’s.
“Maybe.”
“Well, that's just the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard,” Maya said sincerely. In that moment, Karli decided that she couldn’t wait too long to tell Maya the truth, but she could at least wait until after dinner.
Not that Karli would ever, ever admit it, but Bucky was right about Ramanos’. The pizza was delicious, and the atmosphere just screamed Brooklyn. It was perfect. It was a great date. It was too bad that Karli was going to have to ruin it on the walk back home.
“My dad told me that there are these really pretty lights in the neighborhood if you want to take a look,” Karli stated as they walked out of the restaurant.
Maya grinned. “I would love to.”
Maya laced her fingers into Karli’s, and that was when Karli knew that she needed to tell her. She tensed, and her breathing was already getting shaky. “Maya, I’m not who you think I am.”
“What do you mean?” she asked, pausing in the street.
“I was the leader of the Flag Smashers. I’m not sure if you remember that, and I’m not sure if you thought we were the bad guys. But, yeah, I was the leader. And, I’m a super soldier. I have super strength and speed and healing. It’s a lot. I know.”
“Hey, calm down,” Maya said, rubbing her thumb over Karli’s fingers. “I know all of that already.”
“What?” Karli asked, eyes going wide.
Maya blushed. “When we first met, I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I had this super embarrassing crush on you, but all I knew was your first name. So, I..oh god...I looked at some of the school rosters, and there was only one Karli: Karli Morgenthau. Obviously, I knew that name, and I knew who you were.”
“And you’re still here,” Karli stated. Maya smiled. “Why are you still here if you know the truth?”
“Because when I met you, you weren’t trying to take down the government. You were buying wedding presents for your dads,” Maya explained, shaking her head fondly. “I don’t think that terrorists do that kind of thing.”
“The serum is still in me, Maya,” Karli persisted. “I’m strong, really strong. I could hurt you.”
Maya rolled her eyes. “You couldn’t hurt a fly.”
“But--”
“But nothing,” Maya told her sincerely. “I trust you. I feel safe with you. So, now that that’s all taken care of, why don’t you show me those lights you were talking about?”
“Yeah, alright,” Karli replied sheepishly. They began walking down the street, and Karli noticed that Maya was shivering. Karli let go of her hand to shrug off her jacket and drape it over Maya’s shoulders.
“My hero,” Maya said, kissing Karli on the cheek.
So, let’s recap the night. Karli almost threw up thinking about telling Maya the truth. While, in reality, Maya knew the entire time who Karli was and still called her her hero. However, Karli may have forgotten to mention that her last name was no longer Morgenthau, and her dad who grew up in Brooklyn grew up there in the 1910s.
...
It wasn’t that Karli was actively trying to hide Sam and Bucky and the fact that they were her dads from Maya. That wasn’t the case at all. Really, it just hadn’t come up. And, it just so happened that Maya was going to be out of town when Sam and Bucky came to visit for spring break.
“Are you sure you have to go to this stupid conference?” Karli asked when they were at Maya’s apartment before she left. Maya smiled before burrowing her face into Karli’s shoulder as they hugged.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart, but I have to,” Maya whispered, and Karli couldn’t be mad when Maya called her sweetheart. This whole thing was very, very new, but pet names and touching was very common for them. Nothing more than that really though.
“I’m gonna miss you,” Karli pouted. Maya placed a light kiss on Karli’s neck. She picked her head up and looked into Karli’s eyes. “Hi.”
“Hey,” Maya whispered. Their faces were only a few inches apart. “Am I gonna get a goodbye kiss?”
“If that’s something you want, who am I to deprive you of it?” Karli whispered back. Maya smiled before leaning in to kiss Karli.
“We really should get going.”
Karli’s eyebrows shot up. “We?”
“You’re not gonna walk me to the train station?” Maya scoffed. “Some girlfriend you are.”
“Hey!” Karli exclaimed. “I am a great girlfriend!”
“Mhm,” Maya hummed, kissing Karli again. “You know this whole supersoldier thing gets me nothing. You should really carry me to the train station.”
“You want me to carry you?” Karli asked, biting her lip. “Okay.”
“What? Karli, no. I was kidding,” Maya protested, but Karli was already putting Maya on her back.
“What else are super soldier girlfriends for?” Karli pondered. Saying that word again made Karli’s heart flutter. Maya leaned her head on Karli’s shoulder as they exited the building.
“I didn’t mean to freak you out by saying that. If you’re not ready--”
“I’m ready. I’m very ready. I want to be your girlfriend,” Karli assured her. “Are you ready? Do you wanna be my girlfriend?”
“Of course, baby, you swept me off my feet.” Karli groaned, but when Maya kissed her cheek, she couldn’t be annoyed.
...
Sam, Bucky, and Rory arrived in New York early the next morning. They were only staying in the city for one night, so they had to make the most of their time there. Rory was very excited to explore Time Square, especially the Lego Store and the Disney Store. Bucky was just happy to be back in the city, and Sam was happy to have the family back together.
“My little girl!” Sam said, hugging Karli the second he saw her.
“Ugh, dad!” Karli groaned, pushing him away after a moment. “I literally turned twenty-four a month ago.”
“But, you’re still our baby,” Bucky reminded her, taking his turn to hug her.
“Hey! I’m the baby!” Rory protested. They all smiled at him.
“You’re both our babies,” Sam assured them. “So, Karls, are you excited to spend some time with your amazing family?”
“Yeah, I am,” Karli told him with a grin. Bucky furrowed his eyebrows. “What?”
“Since when are you ever happy to spend time with us?”
Karli rolled her eyes. “Shut up. I missed you guys.”
“We missed you too, K!” Rory told her, leaping into her arms.
“You ready to have a fun day?” Karli asked. Rory nodded eagerly. “Let’s go then.”
They did have a fun day indeed. They did everything they set out to do, and they had a blast. They ended their night walking around the streets of Brooklyn, looking at things that both Karli and Bucky wanted to share. Sam and Rory were walking ahead, and Bucky and Karli were behind them.
“Be honest with me, pea,” Bucky asked as they walked. “Why are you so happy?”
Karli blushed. “I went to Ramanos’.”
Bucky knew exactly what that meant. He smiled at his daughter. “You know, I have a lot more ideas where that came from. I used to get great reviews.”
“Ew, shut up,” Karli groaned, pushing him slightly.
“So, I don’t get to know anything about her?” Bucky asked. Karli shook her head and walked past him. She turned around.
“Nope, sorry. You’re too slow to catch up with me anyway.”
Bucky immediately sprinted toward her. They passed Sam and Rory in a huff. “Hey! Be careful!” Sam told them.
“They’re crazy,” Rory told his father.
Sam smiled at him. “I know, bud. It’s a good thing we’re so normal.”
...
Things were going exceptionally well with Karli. They had been going out for a few months, but Maya still hadn’t been to Karli’s apartment. Again, it wasn’t like Karli was intentionally keeping it from her. It just so happened that Maya’s apartment was bigger and better.
Karli had promised to make Maya gumbo for dinner though, so it had to be in Karli’s apartment. The gumbo was already halfway done when Maya arrived at the apartment.
“Hi,” Karli greeted, already grinning when she opened the door. Maya kissed Karli as she walked inside. “Hi.”
“You already said that,” Maya whispered. She pulled away and looked around. “So, this is the infamous apartment.”
“Infamous?” Karli questioned.
Maya shrugged. “I’ve just never seen it is all.”
“Well feel free to have a look around while I finish dinner,” Karli told her, heading back to the stove.
“Don’t mind if I do,” Maya said, immediately looking around the small apartment. There wasn’t all that much to look at. Maya quickly ended up in Karli’s bedroom. The first thing she saw was Captain A-bear-ica lying in the middle of the bed. She grabbed it and walked into the kitchen. “Where did you get this guy?”
“Oh, my dad gave it to me,” Karli replied after seeing what Maya was holding. She was just being honest.
“Is he a big Captain America fan?”
Karli chuckled. “I guess you could say that.”
Maya was silent for a second. Karli watched as she looked at the picture from Sam and Bucky’s wedding that was sitting on the entertainment center. “Karli?”
“Yes?”
“Is...are your…” Maya stuttered out. Karli raised her eyebrows at her girlfriend. “Please tell me your dads aren’t Captain America and the Winter Soldier?”
“Why? Would that be a deal breaker?” Karli asked, immediately worried. Maya’s eyes went wide. She hit Karli lightly. “Ow!”
“Oh, shut up, Miss Super Soldier. Why didn’t you tell me your dads were Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes?”
Karli shrugged. “It didn’t come up?”
“Better yet: why did nobody tell me Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes were gay?” Maya questioned, shocked.
“Nobody really knows. They’ve been pretty secretive about our lives since we moved to Delacroix. They didn’t want anyone bothering us, and Sam already had a hard enough time being a black Captain America.”
“So when you were buying those presents for the wedding…”
Karli nodded. “Yes, they were for Sam and Bucky.”
“I’m so confused,” Maya said, sitting down and rubbing her temples. Karli smiled.
“Well, the food is ready. Let’s eat, and I’ll tell you everything you want to know,” Karli stated, placing two full bowls on the table. “Sam taught me how to make gumbo. It’s a secret family recipe. It’s like an initiation I guess. They even taught Rory how to make it before he was adopted.”
Maya ate a spoonful and moaned. “Oh my god.”
“Mhm.”
“Wait, so Sam and Bucky adopted a kid together?”
Karli rolled her eyes. “You know that my dads adopted Rory.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t know your dads were Avengers!” Maya countered. “I’m eating Captain America’s secret family recipe. I can’t believe this.”
“You get used to it after a while,” Karli told her, but her heart dropped a little. “Are you mad at me for not telling you? I really didn’t mean to keep it from you. It’s just that I don’t really think of them as Captain America and the Winter Soldier anymore, you know?”
Maya smiled. “Well, how could I be mad at you when you say something like that? You’re just so damn sweet.”
Karli leaned across the table to kiss her. “So, are you a big Avengers fan?”
“Who isn’t?” Maya asked incredulously. Then, she blushed. “I was a huge Steve Cap fan. I actually kind of always thought Steve and Bucky were together in the forties.”
Karli smirked. “They were.”
“What?” Maya gasped.
“Yeah, they were together, but then Steve met Peggy Carter. Then everything happened, you know, and Steve ended up going back in time to be with Peggy,” Karli explained.
“So he’s not on the moon?” Karli shook her head. “What an asshole. So, what Bucky and Sam got together after Steve left?”
“I actually kind of got them together,” Karli said proudly.
“Tell me everything.”
Karli blushed. “So, Sam and Bucky took me in after the New York incident. We all moved to Delacroix, and it took all of a day for me to figure out that they were in love with each other. So, I created a scheme to have them get together. They got married like two years later and adopted Rory last year. So, yes, the Barnes-Wilson family would not have happened without me.”
“Did you change your name to Barnes-Wilson?” Maya asked sweetly. Karli nodded. “And that never came up either?”
“I’m sorry.”
“You don’t have to be sorry,” Maya assured her, squeezing Karli’s hand on the table. “I’m happy that you have such a happy family. It’s sweet. And the way you talk about them. It’s just... it’s...you’re cute.”
“You think I’m cute,” Karli teased. “You know, I don’t know much about your family either. I wasn’t a creep, so I don’t know your last name.”
“I wasn’t a creep,” Maya defended, rolling her eyes. “My last name is Valentine.”
“Maya Valentine. My Valentine. Very fitting,” Karli flirted, bringing Maya’s hand up to her mouth to kiss it. Maya just rolled her eyes. “And your family?”
“Well, they’re certainly not Avengers,” Maya joked, and Karli could tell that Maya was covering something. “I’m from Delacroix. It was always just me, my parents, and my brother. My brother was a really sick kid. Before the blip, we knew that he didn’t have much time left. I was the only one in my family who blipped, and when I came back, my brother...he um, he had passed away, and my parent’s relationship didn’t make it. My parents weren’t the same when I came back. They were never really accepting of my sexuality, and I guess they felt like the wrong kid died. Anyway, that’s why I said that I don’t have anything in Delacroix anymore.”
“Maya, I’m so, so sorry,” Karli said sincerely. Maya wiped away a tear that Karli hadn’t noticed in the first place. They had never cried in front of each other. Maya shook her head and bit her lip.
“Thank you. I hadn’t smiled for a while, and then I met you, and now I get to smile every day. You are by far the best thing that has ever happened to me, Karli Barnes-Wilson.”
Karli squeezed her hand and grinned. “You’re the best thing that has ever happened to me, Maya Valentine.”
...
The end of the semester was quickly approaching. The school year had been excruciating, but Karli was happy to do the work as long as it meant that she would be able to help people one day. One of the only things that got Karli through the year was Maya. She was happy, so the work couldn’t bring her down all too much.
Another thing that got Karli through the year was the constant check-ins from Sam and Bucky. Sure, she pretended that it bothered her, but she was always happy to hear from them. With the semester ending, she could not wait to go home and stay with her family for the summer.
“Hey there, Delilah,” Bucky greeted when Karli picked up the phone one night. “What’s it like in New York City?”
“I don’t like that you just casually use twenty-first century references now,” Karli said easily, shaking her head even though Bucky couldn’t see her. “New York City is great though.”
“You’re still planning on coming home, right?” Bucky asked, and Karli could tell that he actually had a fear of her not going back.
“Of course, I’m coming back,” Karli told him sincerely. Then, she smirked. “I have to defend my champion status in the Games.”
“Are you sure you can part with New York for that long?” Bucky asked, and Karli could hear the implication in his voice. Just then, there was a knock at the door, and Karli smiled to herself. She had invited Maya over for a movie night. “What was that?”
“Nothing,” Karli said into the phone as she opened the door to let Maya in.
“Tell nothing I said hi,” Bucky told her in a sarcastic tone. Karli rolled her eyes. “I’m sure you’re going to be busy with nothing now, so I’ll let you go, pea.”
“I can stay on the phone a little longer--”
“Don’t be silly,” Bucky interrupted, and Karli could tell that he was smiling. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow, and you’ll be here in what, two weeks?”
“Yep, I’ll see you in two weeks,” Karli confirmed. “I’ll talk to you later, pop. Love you.”
“Love you too, pea,” Bucky replied, and the call ended.
Karli leaned forward to finally give Maya her hello kiss. Maya melted into it. “Bucky is pop, right? And Sam is dad.”
“Mhm,” Karli hummed.
“So you’re going back to Delacroix all summer?” Maya asked after hearing a good chunk of the conversation. Karli nodded as she led Maya to the couch.
“Sam got me this internship with him, and I can do it from his home office so I can spend time with them this summer,” Karli explained. She smirked at Maya. “You should come with me.”
Maya’s eyes went wide. “What?”
“Come home with me this summer,” Karli reiterated. “Weren’t you just telling me that this summer is your last summer of freedom because next year you’re graduating?”
“Well, I mean, yeah, but that doesn’t mean that I can just take the whole thing off.”
Karli nodded. “Sam has connections at the hospital. He can get you something there. I know that you don’t need handouts, but if you want a job, he can help you.”
“I don’t really need one. Not this summer,” Maya said, biting her lip. “But…”
“But what?”
Maya looked her in the eye. “You want to take me home to Captain America and the Winter Soldier.”
“No,” Karli stated simply, tucking a piece of Maya’s hair behind her ear. “I want to take you home to my family. They’re just my dads, Maya. I mean, yes, sure, Bucky was born in 1917, and Sam can fly, but they’re just my dads. Are they going to be annoying and overbearing and want to know everything about our relationship? Yes, but not because they’re superheroes. Just because they’re my annoying dads.”
“You’re right. I’m sorry. It’s just a lot.”
Karli shook her head. “No, you don’t have anything to be sorry about. I get it. Trust me. If you’re not comfortable, you don’t have to come.”
“I want to,” Maya told her, nodding eagerly. “I want to go home with you.”
“Yeah?”
Maya smiled. “I want to meet the Barnes-Wilsons.”
...
As planned, Karli and Maya left for Delacroix two weeks later. Sam and Bucky always told Karli that she could invite anyone she wanted to the house. They had always made that very clear. So, Karli had told them that she was bringing someone home, but she hadn’t told them that it was her girlfriend. She knew that Bucky had assumed as much, but she hadn’t told him exactly. She thought that that could be an in-person conversation.
They arrived in Delacroix in the afternoon. It was summer for Rory now too, so Karli expected to see him playing in the yard or the pool with Sam and Bucky but no such luck. She led Maya into the house, and the first thing she heard was the running of two tiny feet.
“Karli!” Rory yelled when he saw her in the doorway. He leapt into her arms, and Karli was forced to drop all her bags. Rory squeezed the life out of her, and she squeezed right back. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too, buddy. So, so much,” Karli said into Rory’s shoulder. “You’ve gotten so big. Pretty soon I won’t be able to carry you anymore.”
Rory turned his head to look at a smiling Maya. “K, who’s your friend?”
“This is Maya,” Karli explained, putting Rory down. Karli and Maya exchanged a smile. “She’s actually my girlfriend.”
“You have a girlfriend?” Rory asked incredulously. “Cool!”
“It’s very nice to meet you, Rory,” Maya said, crouching down to his level. “And, Karli is lying. You could never get too big for her to carry. She has that super strength that she’s always bragging about.”
“Right? She’s so annoying,” Rory agreed, snickering.
Karli rolled her eyes. “You haven’t even known each other for two seconds and you’re already ganging up on me.” Karli looked around, expecting Sam and Bucky to climb out of the woodwork but again nothing. “Where are dad and pop? Aren’t they normally attached to your hip?”
“They’re in dad’s office. They’re dealing with super secret superhero stuff or something,” Rory explained. Karli hoped beyond all hope that they weren’t fornacating when she brought her girlfriend home.
“I’m going to go find them. Why don’t you show Maya around, bud? She’s a pro at Mario Kart,” Karli said, winking at Maya.
“Come on,” Karli heard Rory say as he dragged Maya through the house, and Karli headed toward the office. After they made Bucky’s old room into Rory’s room, Sam had lost his office. So, they ended up putting an expansion on the upstairs to give Sam the space he needed to be Captain America from home.
As Karli approached the room, she heard faint voices. She waited quietly outside and listened to what they were saying.
“I don’t want you to give up your dream,” she heard Bucky say. She furrowed her eyebrows. What could that possibly be about?
“That’s not my dream anymore, Bucky. You know that. My dream is this family. My dream is having more kids with you. My dream is spending the rest of my life with my family under this roof.” That was Sam’s voice now.
“But, it’s the shield. You can’t give up the shield. Not after everything you went through to get it.”
She heard Sam let out a breath. “Is this about me carrying the shield, or is this about him carrying the shield?”
Karli didn’t need to see Bucky to know how that affected him. “What are you talking about? It hasn’t been about him in years.”
“All I know is that last time I made a decision about the shield, all you seemed to care about was his legacy.”
“You’re kidding, right? You have to be kidding.”
“Buck--”
“All I ever wanted was for you to carry that shield. For the right man to carry that shield. The kind, considerate, perfect man,” Bucky stated. “I don’t give a shit about his legacy. I care about your legacy. Everything that you put into that shield and that title. I just don’t want you to give it up. I want you to make a decision that you feel honors your legacy.”
“Baby,” Sam said softly. “I’m sorry for suggesting that you had ulterior motives.”
Bucky let out a bitter laugh. “I just don’t know what I can do to make you know that you’re it for me. You’re everything, okay? Everything. It’s not about him anymore. It hasn’t been about him in a very, very long time. I need you to understand that.”
“I do,” Sam said sincerely. “I know all of that. I just got defensive. I know this is the right decision, Bucky, and I need you to back me on this. I’m in my mid-forties. I’ve been throwing around that shield for five years, and I fought for this country for ten years before that. It’s time for me to pass on the mantle.”
“If you’re sure…”
“I’m sure,” Sam said wholeheartedly. “This family comes first.”
That was Karli’s cue to knock on the door. Sam opened it not a second later. He looked at her with wide eyes. “Hey,” she greeted. “I feel obligated to tell you that I heard all of that.”
“Oh, god,” Bucky groaned. “I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have to hear your parents fighting.”
“That was a fight?” Karli asked, raising her eyebrows. “You barely even got mad at each other. You can’t even fight without putting the other person first.”
“I guess we’re just the best couple of all time,” Sam said, pulling Bucky in and kissing his temple.
“About that…” Karli started, looking at the floor and then back up at Sam and Bucky. “Remember how I said I was bringing someone home?”
“Yes,” they said at the same time.
“Well, um, it’s actually my girlfriend. I brought home my girlfriend,” Karli explained.
Bucky’s eyes went wide. “I finally get to meet her?”
Sam looked at Bucky shocked. “You knew she had a girlfriend and you didn’t tell me?”
“She never confirmed it. It was just my suspicion.”
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell him,” Karli replied, shaking her head. “You two were never good at secrets.”
“That’s a complete lie,” Bucky said, and Sam made a she might be right face.
“Wait, before you meet her I have a few questions.”
Sam nodded. “Go ahead.”
“One, are you two okay? That sounded like a lot, and I don’t need you being not okay in your relationship for the first time ever when you meet my girlfriend.”
Sam looked her in the eyes. “We’re fine. We’ve just been a little stressed out about this situation recently, and it got the better of us.”
“Don’t worry about us, kid,” Bucky told her. “I physically could not love your father any more, and I know that he feels the same. Nothing could ever change that.”
“Okay,” Karli replied, thoroughly convinced. She turned her attention to Sam. “Are you actually gonna give up the shield?”
“I think so,” Sam confirmed, and he looked at Bucky. “But, I need to confer with the other head of the house before I make any decisions.”
“No,” Bucky said, grabbing Sam’s hands. “This is your decision. I’ve never had a say over what happened with that shield. It’s not my place, even if I thought it was.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. That’s where we’re both wrong,” Sam said, cradling Bucky’s face in his hand, fingers at the nape of his neck. “We’re a team. We always have been. We make decisions together or not at all. I’m not him, Bucky. I’m not going to blindside you with something like that, okay? I love you too much to do that to you.”
“I love you too,” Bucky replied, kissing his husband. Karli pretended to throw up behind them.
“Now that that’s all out of the way, let’s do this,” she said, getting nervous. “Don’t be weird, okay? And don’t be annoying. And don’t kiss and be all gross. Oh, and don’t brag about being superheroes. Oh, and--”
“Is there anything we can do?” Sam asked, causing Bucky to laugh. Karli rolled her eyes.
“Just...just be my dads, okay?”
Bucky smiled. “That’s all we ever wanted to do.”
When Sam, Bucky, and Karli got downstairs, they were greeted by the sight of Rory and Maya sitting on the couch and playing Mario Kart. Maya stood up the second she saw them, but Rory kept playing the game.
“Maya, you’re going to lose,” he said, looking up at her. “Oh, hey dads. How was the super secret superhero business?”
“We got it all worked out, bud,” Sam stated. “We’re going to tell you all about it later, okay?”
“Yeah, sure,” Rory replied, going back to the game without Maya, who was still standing there unsure of what to do.
“Dad, pop, this is Maya,” Karli said, grabbing Maya’s hand and leading her to her parents. “Maya, these are my dads.”
“It’s so nice to meet you,” Maya greeted, blushing immediately. “Karli has told me so much about you, and well, I already knew a lot about you. I mean, you’re...yeah.”
“It’s very nice to meet you too, Maya,” Sam said, reaching out to shake her hand. “We’re just Karli’s dads though. You don’t need to be all starstruck around us.”
“Even though we know we have that effect on people,” Bucky said, taking his turn to shake Maya’s hand. “So, how did our daughter trick you into dating her? You seem like a very nice young lady and not a delinquent like herself.”
“Shut up,” Karli said through gritted teeth.
Maya smiled. “I think it was the delinquent charm that made me fall for her. Or, maybe it’s the fact that she’s such a shy little nerd.”
“Our Karli? A shy nerd? Nope, you have the wrong girl,” Sam said, laughing. Maya smirked.
“The first two times we met she tripped over her own two feet when she saw me.”
“That’s not at all what happened!”
“When did you meet?” Bucky asked.
“We actually met when she was picking out your wedding gifts at the Del U gift shop,” Maya explained, and Karli blushed. “I told her that I was moving away to New York, and I was very sad that we hadn’t had the chance to get to know each other here.”
“Oh, so you didn’t move to New York to be more like your old man,” Bucky said, smirking slightly.
“I didn’t move to New York for either of those reasons, and you all know that. I moved to New York because I got into one of the best law schools in the country,” Karli defended. Maya and Bucky both nodded. “I hate you both.”
“No you don’t,” Bucky countered quickly.
Maya smirked. “I think it’s quite the opposite really.”
...
A family dinner was in order. Obviously. It was summertime, so obviously it was time for a cookout. Sam grilled, and Bucky played in the pool with Rory. Karli introduced Maya to Sarah and her family. Sarah was so happy to see Karli happy. She and Maya immediately hit it off.
A few hours later, Sarah and Maya were still talking while Joaquin, Sam, Rory, Cass, and AJ were all goofing around in the pool. Karli collected some garbage and went to go throw it away in the house.
“Hey, honey,” Bucky said when Karli walked into the house. He was leaning against the counter holding a few beers that Karli presumed were for the people outside.
“Hey, pop,” Karli said back.
Bucky smiled softly. “How’s Maya doing out there?”
“Good. She’s been talking to Aunt Sarah all night. I’m worried that she’ll leave me for her,” Karli joked, causing Bucky to bark out a laugh.
“Sarah has that effect on the people that her family brings home,” Bucky said, remembering when he first went home with Sam. “You know, I remember my first cookout here very vividly.”
“Really?” Karli asked, raising an eyebrow.
Bucky nodded. “Yep. It was right before New York. I came here to help Sam with the boat and give him his suit. He was still trying to hide his massive crush on me, but he was so cute when he introduced me to everyone. I knew that he was in love with me. Well, maybe I didn’t know it then, but looking back, I know for a fact that he was in love with me back then.”
“Pop,” Karli started, looking Bucky in the eyes. He looked right back. “I think Maya is to me what dad was to you.”
“Care to elaborate on that?”
Karli rolled her eyes but smiled all the same. “She’s my shot at a normal life. She’s just so good. She’s my sun, you know? She just...she adds so much light and happiness to my life.”
“Oh, pea,” Bucky said, moving forward to hug his daughter. “I’m so happy for you.”
“Thanks, pookie,” Karli replied as Bucky pulled away to smile at her.
“Let’s go see our suns, okay?”
Outside, Sam had just gotten out of the pool. He dried himself off quickly and sat down next to Sarah and Maya. He looked into Sarah’s eyes, and she got the cue.
“I’m gonna go hang out with my boys,” Sarah stated, standing up. “It was nice meeting you, Maya.”
“You too,” Maya said, grinning. She turned to look at Sam. “Hey, Sam.”
“Hello, Maya,” Sam replied with a smile. “Enjoying the trip so far?”
Maya nodded eagerly. “Yes. Oh my god, yes. I love it here. Your family is amazing.”
“I like to think so as well,” Sam hummed. “I hate to be this guy, and I’m sure you’re intimidated enough by me being well me. But, I want to make sure that you’re going to treat my daughter right.”
“Oh,” Maya said, looking at the ground and then back up at Sam. “Well--”
“You seem sweet, but Karli doesn’t open up much. I’ve been begging her to for years, but the only people she’s opened up to are us. And, now there’s you. I trust you. Well, I want to trust you. But, this family is a lot, and Karli is a lot. I just want to make sure that you know what you’re getting yourself into.”
Maya nodded and let out a breath. “I care deeply about Karli. I know that she has a past that isn’t the best, and I know that she isn’t technically human. That doesn’t change anything. All I see is Karli. I know you’re her dad, and you love her, but I...well, I don’t know if it’s fair to say that to you before I say it to her. But, it’s true.”
Sam grinned. “I’m happy to hear that.”
“Was that...was that a test?” Maya asked.
“I think it was,” Sam answered, nodding slightly. “And you passed with flying colors.” Maya let out a sigh of relief. “I’m sure you know about Bucky’s past, and I’ve never seen him as that. I only see him as Bucky. I know that it’s possible to love someone and see them for who they truly are and not what others believe them to be. I like you, Maya.”
“Oh, I like you too, Sam,” Maya said, smiling shyly. She looked up to see Bucky and Karli approaching.
“Here come our super soldiers.”
...
A few nights later, after everyone was settled in, Sam and Bucky decided to tell Rory about the shield. Sam had spent the day working with Karli for her internship, and Bucky had spent the day at the restaurant with Rory and Maya. So, the best time to tell him was when they were tucking him in.
“Ror Ror, pop and I have something we want to talk to you about,” Sam said after they finished reading that night’s bedtime story. Sam and Bucky were sitting on either side of Rory on his bed.
“Is it the super secret superhero business?” Rory asked.
“That’s right, buddy,” Bucky told him, rustling his hair. Sam and Bucky exchanged a look over Rory’s head.
“Rory, I’m not going to be Captain America anymore,” Sam stated easily.
Rory’s head whipped around to look at Sam. “What? Why?”
“There comes a time when everyone needs to retire,” Sam explained. “I’ll be able to spend more time with the family if I’m not going on missions all the time. And, just because I stop going on missions, it doesn’t mean I have to stop helping people. I can still do the work I do from home.”
“You’ll always be a superhero, dad. It doesn’t matter if you retire,” Rory told him, causing him to almost cry.
“Thanks, buddy,” Sam said, kissing Rory’s head. “So you’re okay with it?”
Rory rolled his eyes. “You’ll have more time to play with me now. Of course, I’m cool with it.”
Sam chuckled. “I see how it is.”
“I agree with you, cub,” Bucky whispered. “The more dad time we get, the better.”
“I’m all for dad time, but right now is bedtime,” Sam announced. “Goodnight, Rory.”
“Goodnight, cub,” Bucky said, and both men kissed his head before getting out of the bed.
“Goodnight, dads. Love you!”
Sam paused before he closed the door. “We love you too. So much.”
Sam and Bucky headed to their own room to go to bed. Karli and Maya were hanging out with AJ and some of his friends that night, and they still weren’t home yet, so there was nobody else to say goodnight to. That meant that it was time for their nightly check in.
“How was the restaurant today?” Sam asked as they got into bed.
“Busy. Finally getting the summer rush,” Bucky supplied.
“Tourists,” they said together.
“How was the internship?” Bucky asked.
Sam smiled. “It was great. She’s gonna be such a good lawyer one day.”
“Really?”
Sam nodded. “She just fights so hard for people. It’s amazing.”
“I’m so proud of her,” Bucky said, burrowing his face into Sam’s chest. “And I’m so happy that she’s happy.”
“I really like Maya,” Sam replied.
Bucky nodded into his chest. “I like her too. She’s good for Karli. Speaking of, Karli told me that Maya is like her you.”
“What?” Sam questioned, causing Bucky to laugh.
“Maya is her chance at a normal life. And, she even brought up that thing I said about you a few years ago. About how you’re like the sun in my life.”
Sam kissed Bucky’s head. “Does that make you my moon?”
“The mysterious figure that has a constant presence in your life and follows you everywhere?” Bucky asked. “Yeah, I’d say that’s accurate for us.”
“I love you,” Sam said out of the blue. Bucky leaned up to kiss him.
“I love you too,” Bucky replied easily. “I’m so happy you’re my husband.”
“I am a pretty good husband,” Sam said, and Bucky rolled his eyes. “All jokes aside, I genuinely could not have imagined a better life. Nothing could possibly beat being married to you.”
“Oh, Sammy, my love,” Bucky whispered, kissing him again. “Let’s make those babies that we want so bad.”
“That’s not how it works,” Sam told him, but Bucky was kissing him passionately.
“Yeah, I don’t care how it works.”
“Whatever you say, Mr. Barnes-Wilson.”
...
It was officially time for the Wilson Games. Joaquin had begun working on them a month in advance, and everyone was excited for them. Well, everyone who knew what they were.
“Wait, so what is it called again? The Wilson Games or the Barnes-Wilson Games?” Maya asked one night at dinner. Bucky grinned like he did every time the Games were brought up.
“Well, they were originally the Wilson Games, but then we got married and started referring to them as the Barnes-Wilson Games. Now, we kind of just call them the Games,” Bucky explained. That began a whole rant that Maya happily sat through.
“Karli, would you help me with the dishes?” Sam asked, leaving Rory and Maya to deal with Bucky’s long-winded speech. “So, you brought her home for the Games?”
“No, I brought her home for the summer,” Karli corrected as Sam passed her a dish to dry. He smirked. “What?”
“You brought her home for the summer because you knew she would have to do the Games.”
Karli rolled her eyes. “And, if I agree with you?”
“Nothing. Nothing. I just think it’s cute,” Sam said defensively.
“Fine, I brought her home for the Games,” Karli admitted, and Sam immediately got cocky. “I just...I remember that summer. That first summer I was here, and it was so fun. I remember the first Wilson Games and how happy we all were. It was kind of like me and Bucky’s initiation into the family. And, I just thought that this could be that for Maya too.”
“Oh, Karls,” Sam sighed. “You are the sweetest person in the world.”
“Shut up,” she groaned, and Sam knocked his shoulder into hers.
“I’m happy that you found someone who you wanted to bring home to us. Someone who you want to be a part of the family,” Sam told her sincerely. She smiled.
“Me too, dad. Me too.”
...
On the day of the Games, they all gathered in the backyard early in the morning just like they did every other year. They were all wearing their matching t-shirts just like they did every other year. Maya was gifted her shirt the night before. It was purple and the name on the back was My Valentine.
“Good morning, everyone,” Joaquin greeted, grinning from ear to ear. “Who’s ready for this year’s games?” When everyone responded in the affirmative, Joaquin took that as his cue to start explaining this year’s events.
“Okay, so the same thing as last year. Two land, two water, and then the obstacle course that will be land and water,” he began. “First we will have one on one pool volleyball games. Then we will have some races because why not? For the land events we will start with the age-old water balloon fight and then move into go-kart races.”
“You got go-karts?” Bucky asked incredulously.
Joaquin looked at him dumbly. “You’re not the only one who takes these games seriously.” Sam and Bucky shared a smile. “Moving on, the obstacle course is essentially the same as last year. First tires, then boxes, slide, pool, buzzer. Karli, no goggles and blindfold. Bucky, no arm. Got it? Good.”
“Torres, I have to say, I’m very impressed,” Bucky stated. He exchanged a look with Sam before continuing. “I’m happy I passed the torch to you. You’ve made me very proud.”
“Thank you, Bucky. Now, get in the pool, everyone,” Joaquin instructed. “Maya, welcome to the family. Good luck.”
Maya looked like she was going to shit her pants as she got into the pool, and Karli couldn’t help but laugh. Once everyone was in the pool, the volleyball games began. The bracket for that day was Bucky vs. Karli, Sam vs. AJ, Cass vs. Maya, and Sarah vs. Rory. Sarah was offended at first, but her track record proved that she wasn’t all that great when it came to the games.
After several matches, the last two left in volleyball were unsurprisingly Sam and Karli. “Want me to take it easy on you so you can win in front of your girlfriend?” Sam asked. Karli rolled her eyes under her blindfold.
“I don’t need you to help me win. I can beat your sorry butt any day,” Karli stated, and there were some noises from the crowd. Sam chuckled.
“Yeah, sure, kid,” Sam said, hitting the ball toward her. Karli did end up winning the match and nobody was surprised.
It was the same bracket for the races, but this time the last two ended up being AJ and Bucky. “You’re going down, Uncle Buck,” AJ told him. Bucky looked at him with wide eyes.
“What happened to that little kid who was always nice to me? I miss him,” Bucky said, looking from AJ to Sarah who just shrugged.
“He’s eighteen now. He’s not a kid anymore,” she stated easily. “And, he’s gonna beat you.”
“Hey!” Bucky yelled just before the race began. It was very close, and the only reason that it happened was because Bucky was only using one arm, but AJ did end up winning the race. “You used to race me all the time as a kid, and I would let you win every time. This was the first time you ever beat me for real.”
“You’re getting old, Uncle Buck,” AJ said, clapping Bucky on the shoulder and getting out of the pool. Bucky gaped at Sam.
Sam smiled and shook his head as he helped Bucky out of the pool. “Don’t take it to heart, old man.”
The water balloon fight was next, and it was easy enough. If you got hit, you were out. The last one standing was the winner. In this case, the last one standing was Sam.
After that, it was time for the go-kart race. Joaquin had purchased two go-karts, and he even set up a course in Sarah’s backyard. The races used the same bracket as before, and this time the last two were Bucky and Maya.
“Maya, I really hate to do this to you,” Bucky began, “but, you’re going to lose.”
“Hey, all’s fair in love and war,” Maya said, smirking from the go-kart beside him. Bucky smiled back at her.
“I really do like you, Maya. It’s a shame that I have to do this,” he told her. The race began and ended quickly, and, of course, Bucky did indeed win. That meant that Bucky, AJ, Sam, and Karli were all tied. Whichever one of them won the obstacle course would be the winner. Rory, Sarah, Maya, and Cass all opted out of the obstacle course to let the other four battle it out.
“Okay, you four, this is the last event,” Joaquin explained. “Whoever wins will be this year’s champion. On your marks, get set, go!”
They all sprinted forward at almost the same pace. They made it through the tires together, but AJ fell behind on jumping the boxes. Sam, Bucky, and Karli all sprinted over to the slide, and Sam and Bucky made it into the pool right before Karli did. They raced to the other side, and Sam was the first one there and he hit the buzzer, making him the winner.
“Just like old times,” Sam said, when Bucky realized that Sam had won. Bucky smiled.
“Some things never change,” Bucky replied dreamily.
“Hey, man, congrats,” Joaquin said, helping Sam out of the pool and handing him the trophy. “This is yours.”
Sam smiled. “I actually have something for you too. Give me a second.”
Sam ran into the house as Bucky hopped out of the pool. Joaquin looked at Bucky expectantly, but Bucky only shrugged in response. Everyone else made their way over to see what was going on. Sam emerged a second later holding a case that everyone was familiar with.
“Torres, not a day has gone by that I regretted giving you my wings. You were the right man to pass my legacy on to, and now it’s time to pass down another,” Sam explained, and he swore that he saw Joaquin’s soul leave his body. “So, if you’re interested, I’d like to give you the shield and the mantle. I know that having it thrust upon you isn’t the best, so I want it to be up to you. I want this to be your decision. So, what do you say?”
“Sam…” Joaquin said, looking down at the shield. “I don’t know what to say. You’ve trusted me with so much over the past few years: your wings, your family, and now this. I just...I don’t know what to say?”
“Tell him you want to be the new Captain America!” Rory yelled. Joaquin turned to him with a smile. He saw that Sarah was standing directly behind Rory.
“What do you think?” he asked her. He could see that there were tears in her eyes.
“I think that it’s up to you,” she replied, smiling. “But, I also think that you would be a great Captain America.”
Joaquin turned back to Sam and Bucky who both knew what the answer was going to be since the beginning. “Yes, Sam, I would love to.”
“That’s my boy!” Sam exclaimed, pulling Joaquin into a hug. Joaquin pulled away and cleared his throat.
“While we’re on the topic of big, life-altering announcements, I have something I’d like to say,” Joaquin said, moving away from Sam and Bucky and heading over to AJ, Cass, and Sarah. “I got the boys’ blessing a few weeks ago, but I was waiting until the whole family was home to ask.”
Sarah’s eyes went wide. “Oh my god.”
“Sarah,” Joaquin said, smiling and getting down on one knee. “Will you marry me?”
“Yes, get your ass up and kiss me,” she demanded, kissing him fiercely. “Of course, I’ll marry you.”
“I love you so much,” Joaquin whispered, kissing her again.
“I love you too,” Sarah whispered back. She pulled away to look at her sons. “And, you’re both alright with this?”
“Of course,” AJ said sincerely. “I’m an adult now, mom. I just want you to be happy.”
“Me too,” Cass told her. “Plus, Torres is the best.”
“Please tell me you’re not going to change your name to Torres,” Bucky said, moving to hug Sarah who just laughed.
“Maybe I will. Maybe I won’t,” she said, glimmer in her eyes. “Or maybe I’ll take your title of Mrs. America.”
“You know, this will be the first real Captain America I haven’t been in a relationship with,” Bucky stated. “We don’t count Walker. Obviously.”
“Obviously,” Sam said, joining in on the conversation. “It’s not too late, Bucky. They’re not married yet. Get in while you can.”
“I think I’ll stick to the old Captain,” Bucky said, smirking at his husband who went to hug Sarah.
“I’m happy for you,” he whispered to her. Then, he hugged Joaquin. “I’m happy for you too, man.”
“Thank you. For everything,” Joaquin replied sincerely.
“Hey, who wants a celebratory dinner? On the old Captain America,” Sam announced. Everyone cheered as they headed into the house.
“Hey, Maya, can you help me clean up a bit out here?” Bucky asked. Maya stopped in her tracks. Karli stopped as well. “Just Maya. You head on in, pea.”
“If you embarrass me--
“I won’t,” Bucky assured her. She narrowed her eyes, but she headed into the house all the same. “Alright, I don’t actually need your help with anything. I just wanted to talk to you for a second.”
“What about?” Maya asked, as they both sat down and put their feet in the pool.
“The Games are very important in our family. I think you gathered that the other night and today obviously,” Bucky explained. “Our first Games as a family was our first summer with Karli, and it was the summer when me and Sam first got together. It was our first true family event, and it means a lot to us. So, the fact that you got to be a part of it today is a big deal. You’re a part of the family now, kid.”
“Thank you,” Maya said, shyly. “It meant a lot to me too.”
Bucky looked her in the eye. “I don’t know too much about you yet because my daughter seems to be keeping you to herself. Most people say that Sam is the one who brings in strays, but I’ve been known to take care of some as well. So, I want you to know that we are your family now. If you need anything, and I mean anything, we’re here for you.”
“Wow,” Maya breathed out. “Thank you, Bucky, seriously. Thank you.”
“Of course, kid,” he replied with a soft smile. “I haven’t seen Karli this happy in a long time, and I think that’s thanks to you. Anyone who makes my daughter smile like that deserves the world in my opinion.”
“She makes me happy too,” Maya stated, blushing. “Deliriously happy.”
“Pop! Maya! We’re eating!” Rory called from the door. “Hurry up!”
“Coming, cub!” Bucky yelled, hopping up and holding out a hand for Maya. “Come on, Maya. I know we both love Karli, but we both know she’ll eat all the food in the house if we don’t get in there and take our servings.”
“What are we going to do with that girl?” Maya joked and they both laughed as they headed back into the house with the rest of the family.
...
The summer was amazing so far. Karli’s internship was great, and Maya had been helping out at the restaurant most days. Sam was enjoying the retired life, and Bucky was happy to have the whole family home.
One night, Sam, Bucky, Karli, Maya, and Rory were all eating dinner when Sam’s phone rang. “One second,” Sam said, leaving the table as everyone else carried on their conversation. He appeared a moment later looking shocked.
“Sweetheart? What’s wrong?” Bucky asked, standing up. He put his hands on Sam’s shoulders, and Sam looked him in the eyes.
“That was Michelle,” Sam explained.
“Michelle works for the adoption agency,” Karli whispered to Maya to catch her up.
Bucky was looking frantically into Sam’s eyes. “What did she say?”
“She has a possible adoption for us in DC,” Sam explained. He took a moment. “The mom is about to go into labor. She decided on adoption a few days ago, and she picked our file.”
“Sam, that’s--”
“It’s twins,” Sam blurted out, and Bucky’s expression matched Sam’s. “One boy and one girl. Twin babies.”
“Twins,” Bucky breathed out. He shook his head and smiled. “This is what we’ve been waiting for. This is why you passed the shield down.”
“But twins?”
Bucky smiled reassuringly. “It’s nothing we can’t handle. Me and you? We can do anything together, right?”
“Right,” Sam concurred, grinning. “Rory? Karli? Thoughts?”
“I’m still stuck on you two going through the five stages of grief in less than a minute,” Karli told them.
“I want baby siblings!” Rory exclaimed happily. “Me and Karli can take care of them and play games with them, and then when Karli is at school, I’ll still have them to hang out with.”
“Aww, buddy,” Karli cooed. “I want more little siblings too. I think that this is great news.”
“Yeah, congratulations,” Maya told Sam and Bucky. They both smiled at all three of the younger people sitting at the table.
“We have to go to DC,” Sam stated. “Like right now. Michelle is already on her way there. They want us to try to make it for as soon as they’re born.”
“Okay, yeah, okay,” Bucky said, nodding. “Let’s go.”
“Karli,” Sam said seriously. “I know this is a lot to ask--”
“Yes, I’ll change my room into a nursery,” Karli replied before the question was even asked. “Aunt Sarah has the old cribs next store, and I can put all my old stuff in the attic. Don’t worry. I can handle it all.”
“We don’t want you to feel like you’re being kicked out,” Bucky told her. She smiled reassuringly.
“I don’t live here anymore. It’s okay,” she promised them. “When I come back to visit, I’ll see on the couch or bunk with Rory. It’s okay.”
“Okay, good, thank you,” Sam said, kissing her on the head. “We really have to get going now. I don’t know when we’ll be back.”
“I have it all under control,” Karli replied. “I’ll go to the store and get formula and diapers and the whole nine yards. You just go get those babies.”
“Love you, pea,” Bucky said, kissing Karli’s hair. “Love you, cub.” He moved over to Rory.
“We love you guys too. Now get out of here!” Rory demanded. Sam and Bucky laughed their way through more goodbyes and they were on the road in minutes.
“Well, that was a lot,” Karli said once it was just the three of them. “And, it looks like we have a lot of work to do.”
Karli and Maya emptied Karli’s room out fairly quickly. Karli even packed a few boxes with things she had originally left behind that she would take to New York when she went back. After explaining the situation to Sarah and Joaquin, Karli had even enlisted them to help. Sarah went to the store to get all the necessities, and Joaquin helped carry the cribs into the nursery.
Once that was all done, Karli put Rory to bed and Maya set up the couch for her and Karli to sleep on. Karli appeared a few minutes later with a smile on her face.
“He’s so excited about those babies,” she said, sitting down on the couch next to Maya. “It makes me feel better about leaving, you know? I felt so bad when I moved away. I didn’t want to leave him alone, but now he’ll have the twins.”
“I don’t think anyone could ever feel alone in this family,” Maya told her. “Your dads are so amazing, Karli. I get it now, why you don’t see them as superheroes. It’s because they’re such great dads that the superhero thing kind of pales in comparison.”
“They are pretty great, aren’t they?” Karli asked, lying down and pulling Maya down with them. “You know, when we first moved down here, we stayed at my aunt’s house, and my dads had to sleep on her couches. It didn’t take us too long to fix this house up to move into, but it was still a few weeks that they slept on those couches. And, when we moved in here, Bucky slept on the couch for like the first month.”
“Why?” Maya asked.
Karli smiled sadly. “Nightmares. It was hard to sleep in a bed alone, so he liked sleeping on the couch. He also liked when Sam would stay with him. They then got together, and Bucky moved into Sam’s room.”
“Do you have nightmares?” Maya asked innocently. Karli placed a kiss on Maya’s head.
“I used to. We all have them, me and my dads. We’ve been through a lot. We’ve seen a lot. But, they haven’t been bad the past few months. Not since you.”
Maya turned to look at Karli. “Baby…”
“It’s hard to be scared when you make me feel so safe,” Karli said sincerely. She looked into Maya’s eyes. “I love you so much, Maya Valentine. I think I have since the first moment I saw you.”
“I love you too, Karli Barnes-Wilson. More than words can say,” Maya told her, kissing her softly. “Thank you for bringing me home to meet your family.”
“You are my family,” Karli whispered as Maya put her head back down on Karli’s chest. They were both asleep in minutes.
...
“Hey.” Karli heard a whisper as she opened her eyes a few mornings later. She never thought she would have such peaceful nights on a couch with another person, but she stood corrected. She didn’t want to wake up, but she heard another whisper. “Karli, honey, wake up.”
She opened her eyes to see Bucky standing over her. She gently nudged Maya awake and they both sat up.
“Where are the babies?” Karli asked sleepily. Bucky smiled.
“Go get your brother and dad and I will introduce you to them.”
Karli was suddenly filled with the energy to run upstairs and wake Rory up. “R! Wake up! The babies are here!”
“The babies are here?” Rory asked, immediately hopping out of bed. “What are you waiting for? Let’s go!”
They both bound down the stairs to find Sam and Bucky sitting on the couch, each holding a baby. Maya had gotten up to seemingly give them space.
“Karli, Rory, this is your little sister Rebecca Darlene Barnes-Wilson,” Bucky said, but he was only looking down at the baby when he said it.
“And this is your little brother Paul Willard Barnes-Wilson,” Sam said to the baby he was holding.
“Can we hold them?” Karli asked. Sam stood up and moved for Karli to sit as he handed her Paul. Bucky sat Rory down and propped his elbow up on some pillows before handing him Rebecca. “They’re so cute.”
“They’re so tiny,” Rory supplied. “I love them.”
“Me too,” Karli agreed.
“We do too,” Sam said, hugging Bucky to his chest as they looked at their four children.
...
The rest of the family came over for dinner that night, and the twins were passed between everyone. Nobody could get enough of their cuteness.
“I can’t believe you named them after mom and dad,” Sarah said after dinner when they were all sitting in the living room together.
“Yeah, what exactly do their names mean?” Karli asked, looking down at the baby in her arms.
“Well, my sister’s name was Rebecca, and Sam’s mom’s name was Darlene, so that’s where that one came from,” Bucky explained. “And Sam’s dad’s name was Paul. My mom’s name was Winnifred, and I wanted to pay her homage too, so that's where Willard came from.”
“That’s so sweet,” Karli said, smiling at Bucky. He motioned for her to hand over the baby, and she did so reluctantly.
“There's my little Becca,” he cooed.
“Oh did we decide on Becca for her nickname?” Sam asked.
“That’s certainly what I’m calling her.”
Sam hummed. “I think I’ll go with Bex. And I’m calling Paul Paulie Dub.”
“That’s child abuse,” Karli said under her breath, causing only Maya to laugh.
“I think I’ll stick with the animal theme and call him paw,” Bucky stated.
“Cute,” Karli told him.
“Okay, I want a turn with a baby now,” Sarah announced.
“Hey, I was next!” Rory told her.
“Alright, everyone calm down,” Sam instructed. “There’s more than enough babies to go around.”
“Sarah, if you want baby time, maybe you should have a baby of your own,” Bucky joked.
Sarah let out a laugh. “That ship has sailed. I have my two babies, and now I’m waiting patiently for the grandbabies to come.”
“Yeah, that’s not happening any time soon,” AJ assured her.
“Yeah, I’m still a child,” Cass stated.
“Torres, you don’t want kids?” Sam asked, causing the man to go red.
“Well, I...uh...well…” he stuttered out.
“Cass and AJ are just as much his as they are mine,” Sarah said, squeezing Joaquin’s hand. “Right?”
“Right,” Joaquin confirmed, earning smiles from both Cass and AJ.
“Yeah, J is a cool stepdad,” Cass told the room, and Joaquin smiled at the nickname.
“Who would have thought that we would all be one big happy family five years ago?” Sam asked, smiling at Bucky who was still holding Rebecca.
“Not me,” Karli said, laughing slightly.
“Me neither,” Joaquin said with the same laugh.
“I knew,” Bucky said, still looking at Rebecca. He looked up to smile at Sam. “That shield creates a family. I’ve known that since the beginning.”
...
A few hours later, once everyone was gone, and most of the house was asleep, Karli heard one of the babies start to cry as she began to fall asleep. She quietly got up, as to not disturb Maya and hurried to the nursery before the crying woke anyone else up.
“Hey, what’s going on in here?” she whispered when she walked in. She saw Paul crying and picked him up. She picked Rebecca up as well when she saw that the other baby had woken up. She sat down in the rocking chair and held them both. “You guys have a nightmare? It’s okay. That happens a lot around here. You did the right thing. Just let us know, and we’ll always be there for you.”
Karli smiled down at the babies. “I know this family can be a lot sometimes. Sam and Bucky, Cooke and Pookie, Dad and Pop. Whatever you call them. They’re a lot. But, they are the best dads in the entire universe. I know it’ll probably be really weird to grow up with ex-superheros for dads, but it’s just a part of their charm.
“And, Rory and I will be here for you too,” Karli promised them. “I don’t live here anymore, but I’ll visit as much as possible, and who knows, maybe I’ll move back here someday. Anything to be close to my family, right?”
Karli smiled again once she saw that they were both asleep. “We’re the Barnes-Wilsons, and Barnes-Wilsons stick together.”
Across the hall, Sam and Bucky sat perched in front of the baby monitor listening to Karli with the twins. Bucky let a silent tear fall down his cheek, and Sam wiped it away.
“She’s a good kid,” Sam whispered.
“She’s not a kid anymore,” Bucky told him. Sam smiled.
“I know.”
“She grew up on us.”
“I know that.”
“We have three other kids now. Two of whom are infants.”
Sam smiled. “I know that as well.”
“We’ve come a long way,” Bucky said, eyes flicking up to Sam’s. “We know a lot about kids now. A lot more than we did when we first took her in.”
Sam laughed. “We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into.”
“Best decision of our lives though,” Bucky whispered, Sam leaned in to kiss him.
“It wasn’t a decision at all,” Sam told him. “This was all meant to be. The way it was supposed to happen.”
“I thought you didn’t believe in fate,” Bucky stated. Sam just kissed him again.
“I don’t,” Sam supplied easily. “I believe in super soldiers crashing into my life and making it a hell of a lot better.”
“I love you, you nerd.”
Sam smiled. “I love you too, you softie.”
In hindsight, Sam should have seen this all coming. He should have known that a person who makes an entrance into your life the way Bucky entered his was going to be there for a reason. But, sitting here, holding the love of his life in his arms as their four children drifted off to sleep throughout the house, he couldn’t help but think it was all too good to be true. Never in his wildest dreams did he think that he would get a life so perfect, but, hey, he wasn’t complaining.