Sam and Bucky knew that they were going to have to tell Sarah about their relationship before Karli did, and they were not looking forward to it. The sheer smugness she was going to bring to the conversation was enough to make them keep it a secret forever. However, they knew that if they didn’t do it, Karli would, and that was so much worse. So, they decided to invite Sarah and the boys over for dinner that night to tell them the news.
“Uncle Sam! Uncle Bucky!” Cass called when he walked into the house. He and AJ both ran up to Sam and Bucky who were in the kitchen making dinner. “Can we please have s’mores tonight?”
“Sure, but only if you both help me get kindling from the woods,” Sam responded, and the boys high-fived. “Now, go wash up. We’re eating as soon as your mama gets here.”
“Mama is already here,” Sarah called from the front door. She walked into the kitchen to inspect Sam’s handiwork. He shooed her away from the food. “Where’s Karli?”
“She’s been working on her college application all day,” Bucky explained. “She couldn’t wait to start. It was actually really adorable.”
“Do not let her hear you call her adorable. She’ll never let you hear the end of it,” Sam chastised.
“I’m not even sorry. I’m just so proud,” Bucky told him, leaving the kitchen and walking over to the steps. “Karli, dinner!”
“Coming!” she called back. Sarah smiled to herself. She never thought that Sam and Bucky would get the hang of parenting so fast. Karli bound down the steps.
“How’s the application coming?” Bucky asked, going back into the dining room to set the table. Karli went to help him.
“It’s good. I’m still waiting for that letter of recommendation from Captain America, though,” she joked. Sam walked in and set the food on the table.
“You asked for it like six hours ago. I didn’t know I was on a deadline. In case you didn’t notice, I’ve been slaving over this meal.”
“And, it looks delicious,” Karli replied, smiling at the man who just rolled his eyes. Everyone sat down at the table and began piling food onto their plates. Karli gave Sam and Bucky a look. “Sarah--”
“Karli,” Sam said under his breath. He shot her a glare, but she only smiled. Sam looked over at Sarah who was incredibly confused. “Sarah, Bucky and I have something to tell you.”
“You and Uncle Bucky are getting married?” AJ asked. Bucky began choking on the food he was eating.
“What? No,” Sam blurted out.
“You don’t want to marry Uncle Bucky?” Cass questioned. Bucky, who finally composed himself, looked at Sam with wide eyes.
“It’s not that I don’t want to marry Bucky,” Sam told Cass. “It’s just that...well, it’s just that…”
“It’s just that we only started dating a few days ago,” Bucky stated. He looked at Sarah who was smirking. “That’s what we wanted to tell you.”
“Oh, I know you’re dating,” Sarah said, completely unfazed. “Did you think that Karli didn’t tell me the second it happened?”
Sam and Bucky both whipped their heads to look at Karli who was eating her food and trying not to laugh. She looked up at them innocently. “What?”
“What’s the opposite of a letter of recommendation? Because that’s what I’m sending to the college,” Sam joked. He exchanged a look with Bucky, and they both grinned at each other. Bucky’s face softened, and Sam felt his heart melt.
“I thought you would be less insufferable when you got together,” Sarah said sarcastically. She could not have been happier that they were happy, but they already knew that. They didn’t need to be told.
“Nope, sorry,” Bucky told her. “I’m going to be openly disgusting about my love for Samuel.”
“Gross,” Karli, Cass, and AJ all said in unison.
“Fine, you can start your own fire to make s’mores tonight. See if I care,” Sam said, shrugging lightly.
“He’s only joking,” Bucky whispered to Cass and AJ. “Uncle Sam is a big softy. He wouldn’t do that to you guys.”
“What did you just call me?” Sam demanded. Bucky smirked at him.
“Nothing. I just said how Captain America is real tough.”
“I hate you.”
“I think it’s been very well established that that’s not true,” Karli countered, causing everyone besides Sam to laugh. Sam just looked at Bucky with what could only be described as heart eyes. He mouthed I love you to Bucky, and they both smiled before going back to their dinner.
...
Sam worked incredibly hard on the letter of recommendation. He knew that it was really important to Karli, and he wanted it to be perfect. He was perfectly aware that a letter from him could get her anything she wanted, and he couldn’t mess that up for her.
Once the letter was finished, he signed, sealed, and delivered it to her. When Sam walked into her room Karli was just finishing up her application.
“How’s it going in here?” Sam asked, sitting down on her bed. Karli turned around in her desk chair and looked at him.
“I’m all done,” she told him with a smile. “Are you?”
“Yep, here you go,” he replied, handing her the letter. “That baby will get you into an Ivy if you applied.”
“Yeah, well I only need it to get me into Delacroix University. What did you write in it anyway?”
“It’s sealed for a reason, bud,” Sam said, foux-seriously. He chuckled lightly when she rolled her eyes. “I said just how I see a lot of potential in you, and that you’re an incredibly hard worker. Then, I included the hours you put in on the house and at the restaurant. I told the truth. I said that I’ve watched you grow into this amazing person the past few months.”
“Sam…” Karli began. She looked at the floor and then at him. “Thank you. Seriously. It means a lot to me.”
“Of course. Anything for you,” Sam said sincerely. He stood up and clapped. “Wanna go to the post office and drop it off?”
“Yeah, let’s do it.”
...
A few nights later, Sam, Sarah, and Bucky were sitting on Sarah’s front porch watching Karli play with Cass and AJ a few feet away. Sam and Bucky were holding hands and laughing at how hard AJ was trying to beat Karli in a race.
“I miss the Wilson Games,” Sarah pondered, taking a sip of her beer. Bucky dropped Sam’s hand, and turned his attention to Sarah.
“What are the Wilson Games?” he asked. Sam smiled. “What?”
“We used to do this thing every summer we would have this day of all these games and challenges. The whole family would compete, and the winner would get a hundred dollars from my dad,” Sam explained. “We haven’t done it...God, I don’t think we’ve done it since I enlisted.”
“Sam, that was more than ten years ago,” Bucky gasped.
“Things got in the way,” Sam said, shaking his head. “The family dwindled down a lot since then.”
“But, it also grew recently,” Sarah offered. Bucky smiled at her. “We have two new members who are always looking to get out energy.”
“We can’t have super soldiers in the Wilson Games. They’ll cheat,” Sam scoffed.
“We will not,” Bucky defended. Karli had taken a break from playing with the boys, and she was walking over to the porch. “Karli, tell Sam that we wouldn’t cheat if we all had a family competition.”
“Will we get disqualified if we cheat?” Karli asked.
“Yes, obviously.”
“Then we wouldn’t cheat,” she said simply. “We play to win.”
“Then, it’s decided,” Bucky stated. Sam raised an eyebrow at him.
“What’s decided?” he asked.
“Next Saturday. The first reinstated annual Wilson Games.”
...
Bucky worked non-stop on the Wilson Games that week. He designed an obstacle course, made t-shirts, figured out some adjustments for him and Karli, and even called in back up to be the impartial judge.
“Torres?” Sam asked, when he saw Joaquin park his car in front of the house. “What the hell are you doing here, man?”
“Bucky called me,” he responded simply. “I thought he hated me, so you can imagine my surprise.”
“Well, I’m even more surprised,” Sam told him. He pulled the younger man in for a hug. “It’s good to see you, though.”
“You too, Cap.”
“Torres, I invited you here to help me, not perv on my boyfriend,” Bucky called, walking up from the backyard. Joaquin turned a deep shade of red. “I’m just kidding. Calm down.”
“Good to see you too, Sergeant Barnes.”
“Please, call him Bucky,” Sam said, sharing a look with Bucky who just shrugged.
“Alright, Torres, we have some work to do,” Bucky instructed. He began walking Joaquin to the backyard when Sam grabbed his arm and pulled him to his chest. “Just go ahead without me.” He leaned into Sam’s touch. “What’s all this about?”
“You invited someone here,” Sam whispered, kissing Bucky’s cheek, Bucky’s back flush to Sam’s chest.
“It’s my home,” Bucky whispered back, and Sam let out a breath.
“Hell yeah it is,” Sam told him, which caused Bucky to laugh.
“I have to go finish some things up for tomorrow,” Bucky said, turning around to kiss him full on the lips. “I love you.”
“I love you too, baby,” Sam replied, letting him go. Bucky was halfway around the house when he heard Sam. “Bucky?”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t be an asshole to Torres.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it!”
...
The entire family was instructed to be in the backyard by eight o’clock on Saturday morning. Sarah made them a quick breakfast, they put on their Wilson Games t-shirts, and headed over to the “course”.
Each person got a different color t-shirt with a nickname on it. Sam’s shirt obviously said Cap, and it was red. Bucky’s shirt was blue and said Pookie. Karli had a green shirt that said Pea. Sarah’s was purple and said Queen. Cass’s was yellow and said Casserole, and AJ’s was orange and said Letterman. Bucky even made Joaquin a grey shirt with Falcon on the back.
Everyone walked outside to see Bucky wearing his t-shirt, short shorts, and a sweatband. They all stood there and stared at him.
“I can see that you’re taking this seriously,” Sam said, trying not to smile. Bucky stretched and jumped up and down.
“I’m taking this incredibly seriously,” Bucky replied sincerely. “I can see that the rest of you aren’t.”
“Hey, we’re taking this very seriously,” Karli countered, gesturing at the four of them. “We’re just not crazy.”
“You shouldn’t call him crazy, honey,” Sam chastised, throwing her a smirk. “I think the correct term is formerly brainwashed.”
“You’ll all see when I win,” Bucky muttered. Joaquin cleared his throat. Everyone turned their attention to him.
“Okay, today we will be playing a series of games. The color of your shirt will be color coded to your sections of the games,” he explained. “First, we have a water balloon fight. Everyone will go to the bucket with the water balloons of their color. When I blow my whistle, you will all throw your balloons at the other players as fast as you can. The balloons need to pop. If you throw a balloon and it does not pop, you will have to retrieve it. The first person to use all their balloons wins. Bucky and Karli have double the amount of balloons.”
“What?” Karli questioned, looking in her bucket.
“Sorry, kiddo. I had to make it a little harder for us,” Bucky apologized. “I’m still going to win though.”
“Yeah, sure,” Sam told him. “Everyone get in their spots. Let’s get this thing started!”
...
Bucky did in fact end up winning the water balloon fight. Sam had no idea where he got so good at throwing water balloons, but he didn’t question it. Next was an egg on spoon race. Karli and Bucky had to have two eggs each. Sarah ended up winning that.
Next was a series of tug of war. There was a very detailed bracket, and it ended with everyone against Bucky. Unsurprisingly, he won that round as well. Then, there was a scavenger hunt for balls that then had to be thrown through a hoop that Torres was holding. He had to move it for Karli and Bucky so they didn’t have a steady target. Sam won the scavenger hunt, but Karli beat him to throwing the balls in the hoop, which secured her the win.
“Alright, final event of the day,” Joaquin announced. “I’m sure you all saw that Bucky has been creating an obstacle course all week. However, I put in a few minor modifications so Bucky doesn’t know exactly what’s coming. Speaking of Bucky not knowing what’s coming, he and Karli will be blindfolded.”
“Blindfolded?” Karli demanded. “You’re kidding me.”
“I’m not kidding you,” Joaquin responded. “Look, this isn’t that hard of an obstacle course. It was designed so that everyone would be able to do it with only a small amount of difficulty. It’s way too easy for those of you who are bodily enhanced.”
“Fine,” she groaned. She took the blindfold from Joaquin and put it over her eyes. Cass and AJ waved their hands furiously in front of her face to make sure she couldn’t see. She laughed at their attempts.
Sam took the other blindfold and secured it over a very grateful Bucky’s eyes. He gave Bucky a kiss on the cheek.
“Thanks, doll.”
“I’m gonna destroy you,” Sam whispered in his ear. He began walking to his starting position. “And not in the way you like!”
“Okay, so on my signal, you will all run through the tires, climb up and down the rock wall, run through the cones without hitting any, climb the stairs, and swing from the rope onto the platform where you will hit the buzzer,” Joaquin explained. “Okay, everyone. Get ready, get set, go.”
Joaquin wasn’t lying; the course was nothing too hard. In fact, Cass and AJ were both in the lead at one point. They fell behind, however, and Sam, Karli, and Bucky were now in a three way tie. Karli’s blindfold messed her up on the cones, and she fell behind. Now, it was just Bucky and Sam, not that Bucky knew that as he couldn’t see.
Sam was not going to let Bucky win. He was pulling out all the stops, but it was down to the wire here. He and Bucky both landed on the platform at the same time. Sam lunged forward and hit the buzzer right before Bucky’s vibranium hand hit his.
“Jesus Christ!” Sam yelled, causing everyone to stop what they were doing. Sam held his hand to his chest, and Bucky ripped off his blindfold.
“Sam, oh my, God,” Bucky said, moving forward and jerking away at the same time. “I’m so sorry. This was so stupid. I should’ve known I was going to hurt someone. This was supposed to be a fun family game, and I went and broke your hand.”
“I don’t think you broke it,” Sam offered, looking down at his hand. He was right. It didn’t look broken. “I was just shocked is all. I’m fine. Look at me. I’m fine. You didn’t hurt me.”
“I could’ve though.”
“But, you didn’t,” Sam told him, pulling him forward and kissing his forehead. “Today was the best day I’ve had in a really long time, Bucky.”
“Really?” he asked, looking into Sam’s eyes.
“Yeah, Uncle Bucky. Today was the best!” Cass called from the ground.
“So much fun!” AJ agreed.
“And I didn’t even have to plan any of it,” Sarah told him, grinning. Sam looked down at Karli who was smiling.
“Today was the first time I ever got to do something like this. It was amazing, Pookie,” she told him, and he smiled at her.
“Plus, I think you won,” Sam told him. He looked down at Joaquin to confirm.
“Yes, with the finale scores all tallied, Bucky got first, and Sarah, Sam, and Karli all technically tied for second,” Joaquin confirmed. “Congratulations, Bucky.”
“Congratulations, Bucky,” Sam said, kissing him again. “You won the Wilson Games.”
“Does that make me a real Wilson now?” Bucky asked. Sam smiled at him.
“Baby, you’ve been a real Wilson since the first time you came here.”
“This is sweet and all, but I think I was promised lunch after,” Karli called from the ground. Sam and Bucky both laughed as they climbed down.
“Hey, you’re keeping that outfit, right?” Sam asked, and Bucky looked down at his attire.
“Why? You like it?” he questioned, cocking an eyebrow.
“Maybe,” he responded, walking toward the house. “So, what did you win?”
“Well, I was going to give the winner a hundred dollars like you said, so I guess I just got to keep my money,” Bucky explained. Sam looked disappointed at that. “I won a great day with my family that I plan making a yearly thing for the rest of our lives.”
“God, you’re such a sap,” Sam groaned, but he kissed Bucky all the same.
...
A few days later, Sam went to work at the restaurant, and Bucky and Karli stayed home. Bucky was lying on the couch enjoying the air conditioning when he heard someone yell.
“Karli?” he asked, running to her room. He pushed the door open.
“I got in!” she exclaimed, grin taking over her face. “I’m going to college.”
“Pea, that’s amazing,” Bucky told her, pulling her in for a hug. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Thank you,” she said into his chest. She pulled away and smiled widely. “I’m going to college.”
“Yeah, you are,” Bucky confirmed.
“I’m going to college. I’m going to college. I’m going to college,” Karli sing-songed. She began dancing around, and Bucky joined in.
“You’re going to college. You’re going to college. You’re going to college.”
They continued that for several minutes and didn’t hear somebody enter the house and come upstairs.
“What’s going on in here?” a voice asked. They both grinned at Sam when they saw him.
“I got into Del U!” Karli told him, and they both watched his Proud Dad face show up.
“Of course you did! I knew you would!” he said, hugging her tightly. “I am so proud of you.”
“Thank you. I wouldn’t have gotten in without you.”
“That’s not true,” he said, pulling away to look at her. “You can do anything you put your mind to. You don’t need me.”
“Thanks,” she replied softly.
“Who wants celebratory shrimp fajitas?” Bucky asked, and he didn’t need to wait to hear the answer.
...
Back to school was rough. They had had so much fun that summer, and saying goodbye to it wasn’t easy. AJ and Cass whined for a whole week before school started. The only reason they stopped was because Sam and Bucky promised them that the next summer would be even better.
Karli was incredibly nervous, but she thought she was doing a good job hiding it. She was not. Sam and Bucky watched her scramble around a week before her first class trying to get everything in order. She was practically radiating anxiety, but Sam and Bucky thought the best way to help her was to let her go until she asked for help.
“Goodnight, guys,” Karli said with a yawn the night before school started. Sam and Bucky shared a look from where they were sitting together on the couch.
“Wait,” Sam blurted out, causing Karli to turn around and look at him. He cleared his throat. “You ready for tomorrow?”
“Yeah,” she replied, not giving him much of anything.
“Do you want me to drive you?” Sam asked.
“No, it’s going to be nice. I can walk.”
“Okay, well if you ever need a ride, you can just ask one of us.”
“Got it. Thank you,” Karli said sincerely. She turned to walk up the stairs, but she turned back around just as fast. “I was wondering if we could have gumbo tomorrow night. My last class ends at two, so I can start to make it when I get home.”
“Sounds good to me,” Bucky told her. He smiled softly. “You’re gonna do great tomorrow, kiddo.”
“There’s nothing you can’t do,” Sam insisted. Karli rolled her eyes fondly.
“You’re both the worst,” she groaned, but then her face softened into a smile. “Thank you, though.”
...
Sam and Bucky waited anxiously for Karli to get home from class. They made her breakfast before she left, but it had been hours since they heard from her. She was busy in school; they understood that, but they were anxious to hear how her day went.
They kept busy at the restaurant for most of the day, but that was somehow worse. They weren’t able to get out of there until hours after Karli said she would be home. They rushed home as fast as possible.
“Karli?” Bucky asked, opening the front door. He heard some noise from the kitchen, so he and Sam walked toward it. They walked in to see Karli sitting on a stool, stirring the pot of gumbo, and looking at her phone.
“Oh, hi,” she said, looking up from her phone. She furrowed her eyebrows. “What?”
“How was your day?” Bucky asked, sitting at the counter as Sam went to taste the food that Karli made.
“It was pretty good,” she responded, turning to look at Sam. “Is it good? I didn’t know how much sugar to add.”
“It’s perfect,” Sam raved. “And, I’m not just saying that to be nice or whatever. I’m being totally honest with you. It’s good as hell.”
“Perfect,” she said, hoping off the stool. “Then you can both set the table.”
“She thinks she’s the boss of us.”
“That is Captain America. You can’t boss him around,” Bucky chastised her jokingly. He moved away from the counter, grabbed the bowls out of the cupboard, and handed them to Sam so he could plate the soup.
“Damn right,” Sam agreed, causing Bucky to roll his eyes before he put the silverware on the table. They all sat down at the table and began to eat the meal Karli prepared for them.
“This is amazing,” Bucky moaned, taking another bite.
“Better than Sam’s?” Karli joked.
“Be careful how you answer that,” Sam warned, not even looking up from his soup.
“Nothing can beat Sam’s,” Bucky said, throwing a wink at Karli.
“I saw that,” Sam told him, even though he hadn’t. He looked up with a smirk. “So, Karli, please tell us about class. How was it? Did you find the buildings okay? How were your classes?”
“I didn’t know this was an interrogation, geez,” Karli said sarcastically. She let out a breath and looked at Sam and Bucky who were waiting patiently. “Like I said, it was good. The buildings were all easy to find and close to each other and downtown. All we did in class was go over what we’re going to do this semester. I’m excited about my classes. I think they’re going to be good.”
“Did you make any friends?” Sam asked, and Bucky threw him a look which he only shrugged at.
“It was only the first day,” Karli replied, going back to her dinner. “Plus, everyone there has lived here their whole life. They all already know each other.”
“Just promise me that you’ll try to make friends.”
“I promise,” Karli assured him begrudgingly, but it was good enough for Sam.
...
It was a few months later, and everything felt like it was falling into place. They had a normal life. They had a routine. That was when Sam realized that he needed to start taking on more Captain America responsibilities.
He had made deals with everyone in SWORD and the government that he would get everything squared away with the GRC and Karli, and then he would start going on regular missions. Now was that time.
It wasn’t that Sam didn’t want to go on missions. He loved flying and helping people. He would never complain about doing any of those things. But, for the past few months, his whole life had been his family, and he wasn’t sure if he was ready to take time away from them.
“What is going on in that bird brain of yours?” Bucky asked one night when they were laying in bed together. He had his head on Sam’s chest, and Sam was drawing circles on Bucky’s vibranium arm.
“Can we talk about something?” Sam asked, and Bucky’s heart dropped. Sam could sense it, so he pulled Bucky closer. “It’s nothing bad. It’s just kind of a serious decision, I guess.”
“Okay, well, whatever it is, we can handle it,” Bucky assured him, leaving a kiss on his chest.
“I know that it’s been looming over us for a while, but I think that it’s time that I start going on missions again.”
“That’s it?”
“Well, it’s a big deal,” Sam said, looking down at a grinning Bucky. “What?”
“Sam, missions are your thing. You’re always getting into messes to save people. I’m surprised you’ve made it this long without calling Torres for information on one of his missions,” Bucky told him. “You haven’t flown in months, and I know that you’re dying to go. Plus, you’ve barely had any action time as Cap. You need to get back out there.”
“And, you’re sure you don’t want to come?”
“Oh, I’m positive,” Bucky assured him. “I am perfectly fine staying here with Karli and your family. I have no problem relaxing like the old man I am.”
“And you’re okay with me leaving?” Sam asked. Bucky pulled away to look at him.
“Of course I’m not okay with you leaving. If it was up to me, we would never leave this bed. However, that isn’t how this works,” Bucky explained. “You being Captain America is what’s best for you and the entire world. It doesn’t matter that some centenarian is going to miss his boyfriend.”
“Your problems matter too, baby,” Sam whispered, kissing Bucky’s temple before Bucky laid back down.
“I know, but this isn’t a problem. I’m going to miss you, but I know you’re coming back. You’re always going to fly home to me.”
...
Bucky lied. Sam going on missions was one of the most difficult things he ever had to deal with. There would be times where Bucky wouldn't hear from him for days at a time. He knew that Sam tried to get in touch with him as often as possible, but it was horrible not hearing knowing where he was or if he was okay.
He tried to keep himself occupied with Karli and the boys, but that wasn’t enough. He and Sarah had begun having what they called Wine Thursdays, which always gave him a little bit of serenity.
“You are a mess, Bucky Barnes,” Sarah stated, pouring him a glass of wine. Bucky scoffed, but he knew she was right.
“It’s just hard,” he told her, taking a sip of the wine. She hummed.
“I get it,” she stated. “I used to be worried sick every time he would leave the house. I still am, but I think I feel better knowing that he would never leave you alone.”
“What do you mean?”
“After Riley died, he was...he wasn’t in the right headspace to be going into dangerous situations. He never thought straight. He was reckless. Then, he told me that he was working with superheroes, and I thought he was crazy,” she explained. “There were years where I was worried that he didn’t have anything left to fight for. He didn’t have anything to come home to, so it didn’t matter if he won the fight.
“But, now he has you and Karli, and he would never let you live without him. He wouldn’t,” she said sincerely. “I know that accidents can happen, and you can never fully control these things. But, I also know that there is nothing that would prevent Sam from coming back home to you.”
“Jesus, Sarah,” Bucky whispered, wiping away his tears. She smiled softly at him. “Was it really that bad after Riley?”
“I had never seen him in such a dark place,” Sarah confirmed. “It was his lowest point. That’s why I love you so much.”
“Huh?” Bucky asked, completely caught off guard.
“The last time I saw Sam before the blip was when he left to go find you. When he left, he was still in that dark place. After the blip, I wasn’t sure if he had fully healed yet because I hadn’t seen him in essentially seven years. He seemed fine, but then you came here, and I had never seen him that happy. You gave him his happiness back.”
“I don’t think that’s true…”
“Of course it’s true,” Sarah assured him. “I have never been more certain of anything in my life. That man’s world spins because of you.”
“Hey,” Sarah and Bucky heard from the front door. They turned to see Karli standing there. “I’m gonna head home, Pookie.”
“I’m right behind you, kid,” Bucky told her, taking the last sip of his wine. “Let me just say goodnight to the boys, and I’ll be over.”
“Okay, goodnight, Aunt Sarah,” Karli yawned.
“Night, bud,” Sarah replied with a soft smile as Bucky walked into the house. He saw AJ and Cass sitting on the couch almost passed out.
“I’m heading home, boys. I’m getting you from school and then we’re gonna hang out tomorrow, right?” Bucky asked, causing both boys to beam. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
“We’ll see you tomorrow,” Cass promised with a grin. “Goodnight, Uncle Bucky.”
“Yeah, goodnight, Uncle Bucky,” AJ echoed.
“Goodnight, boys,” Bucky said sweetly. He pulled out his phone. “Oh, I forgot to tell you. Uncle Sam texted me and told me to tell you,” Bucky changed his voice to his best Sam impression, “‘Tell those boys that if you become their favorite uncle while I’m gone, I’m hitting them both upside the head with the shield.’ Pretty aggressive if you ask me.”
“You’re both our favorites,” AJ told him. “We could never pick between you.”
“I think that’s somehow worse for Sam, but I’ll take it. I’ll see you tomorrow, pals.”
...
Sam had been on a mission for a week, and he could not wait to get home. He was exhausted, and he just wanted to cuddle on the couch with Bucky and listen to Karli complain. He was trying to keep up a front for Joaquin and the rest of the team. He was doing a great job for the rest of the team, but he wasn’t fooling Joaquin at all.
“So, do you and Bucky have any plans for when you go home?” Joaquin asked as they were flying to the drop off point. Sam let out a sigh of relief.
“My only plan is to do absolutely nothing,” he said dreamily, causing Joaquin to laugh. “I just want to lay somewhere and relax. Maybe I can even trick Bucky into rubbing my back for me.”
“I’m sure he would do it,” Joaquin responded assuringly. “He would do anything for you.”
“Yeah, well, the feeling is mutual.”
Joaquin made a noise. “You’re both gross.”
“Hey, I thought you were team WinterFalcon,” Sam joked, and Joaquin blushed. “Or would it be WinterCaptain now? CaptainWinter? AmericanSoldier?”
“How about just Sam and Bucky?” Joaquin offered, sick of the other man’s jokes. “And, I’m team both of you being happy, obviously, but I didn’t expect you to become an old married couple so quickly.”
“We’re not an old married couple. We’re just a couple who co-non-parent a teenage super soldier.”
“We’re at the drop off point,” Joaquin stated. “Thank God because I can’t listen to this anymore.”
“Be careful out there, Torres.”
“You too, Cap.”
...
“Honey, I’m home,” Sam called into the house. He looked around for a moment, but he didn’t see them anywhere. Confused, he left the house and went to Sarah’s instead. “Hello? Where is everyone?”
“Uncle Sam!” AJ and Cass yelled, both running to hug Sam. He let out an oof on the impact.
“Where’s your mama?”
“In here!” Sarah called from the laundry room. Sam walked over to see her folding some clothes. Still no sign of Bucky and Karli though. Sarah seemed to have read his mind because she said, “Karli had a meeting with one of her advisors after class, and Bucky went to pick her up. They should be home any minute.”
Just then, they heard a car pull up, and Sam ran out of the house without another word. He saw them before they saw him, and he very quietly approached them before yelling, “Are those my super soldiers?”
“Sam!” Bucky exclaimed, bounding toward him. They met in a rough kiss, but it was the best thing Sam had experienced in days. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too, baby,” Sam whispered. He pulled back to look at Karli. “I missed you too, Karls. You had a meeting with your advisor? What was it for?”
“Just to make sure I’m on track with everything pre-law,” she explained. “Boring old school stuff. What about you, Cap? How was the mission?”
“Yes, how was the mission?” Bucky asked, immediately moving to give him a once over. “Are you hurt? Do you have any injuries?”
“I’m fine. My back is just sore from carrying the world on my shoulders,” Sam joked, and Bucky gave him a dirty look.
“I’ll rub your back, and you can tell us all about your mission,” Bucky promised, grabbing Sam’s hand and dragging him toward the house.
“And you’ll tell me everything I missed?”
“Yes, every last detail,” Karli promised. “I’ll order pizza. We can watch a movie. We can make it a whole thing.”
“You want to hang out with us?” Sam asked, heart filling with something. Karli rolled her eyes.
“I missed you. Don’t make a big deal out of it.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Sam told her, but he and Bucky exchanged a look. They were so totally going to make a big deal out of it.
...
Sam was only home a few days before he had another mission. With Sam having to leave so often for work, Bucky had to take on a lot more responsibility with Karli. Well, maybe responsibility wasn’t the right word. It was more like he was the only adult she could go to now, and he had to be there for her as much as he could.
He had taken to driving her to and from class as much as he could as it was the dead of winter. It didn’t get too cold in Delacroix, but the weather wasn’t always the best. Karli appreciated the rides, so Bucky kept up with them. However, he did always wonder about something.
“Do you...do you know how to drive?” Bucky questioned as he was driving her home from class. She was silent for a moment.
“No,” she stated simply. “I was only fourteen before the blip, and there were more important things in the world than learning how to drive. Plus, I didn’t have anyone to teach me.”
“Hey, I get it,” Bucky replied. “I learned how to drive at the beginning of a World War. I essentially taught myself. Then I had to teach myself all over again almost a century later.”
Karli made a sound like she realized something. “So that’s why you’re such a bad driver.”
“Keep that up, and I won’t teach you how to drive.”
“What?” Karli asked, whipping her head over to look at him. Bucky’s eyes went wide.
“Well, I just figured...I have a lot of free time, and you should probably learn eventually…” Bucky offered.
“No, you’re right. I am going to be twenty in a few days. I should learn how to drive.”
“Wait, wait, wait,” Bucky said, and Karli knew she messed up. “Back it up. Did you say in a few days?”
“...yes.”
“Karli!” Bucky exclaimed, keeping his eyes on the road but all his attention on the girl next to him. “Why didn’t you tell us your birthday was coming up?”
“It didn’t come up!”
“I’m calling Sam,” Bucky told her, reaching for his phone and pressing Sam’s contact, putting the phone on speaker. “Samuel.”
“Hello to you too, baby,” Sam answered. “Is something wrong?”
“Did you know Karli’s birthday was in a few days?”
“What? No,” Sam said over the speaker, and Bucky looked over at Karli. “What day is it?”
“February sixteenth,” Karli muttered. “It’s really not a big deal.”
“Can you be home?” Bucky asked Sam, not paying Karli any mind.
“Yeah, I should be done there by then.”
“Great,” Bucky said, parking the car in front of the house and throwing a grin at a disgruntled Karli. “And, we can celebrate Valentine’s Day when you get back too.”
“Looking forward to it,” Sam said, and Karli groaned.
“I hate both of you,” she mumbled, causing them both to laugh.
“Are we supposed to get her something?” Bucky asked once Karli was in the house.
“Well, I was planning on bringing you something home for Valentine’s Day, but I think that it can work for both purposes.”
“What kind of present would work for both me and Karli?” Bucky questioned, genuinely curious.
“I guess you’ll just have to wait and see,” Sam told him. “I gotta go, Buck. I love you so much.”
“I love you too. Be careful.”
“Always am.”
“Liar.”
...
Sam arrived back at the house very early in the morning on Karli’s birthday. He got there before Bucky and Karli were awake, so he decided to make them breakfast instead of waking them up. He put their joint present down in the living room, keeping a constant eye on it.
Karli was the first to come downstairs, which didn’t surprise Sam at all. Bucky always slept in, and since Sam wasn’t there to push him out of bed, Bucky took advantage of his time there.
“Hey, Karls,” Sam said softly. She yawned and looked up at him. Sam grinned. “Happy birthday, kiddo.”
“Thanks,” she mumbled, but Sam could tell that she was happy to see him in her own way. “You didn’t have to come back just for me.”
“I didn’t. Bucky was very adamant that we celebrate Valentine’s Day, even if it is a couple of days late,” Sam explained. “Speaking of, why don’t you finish cooking these eggs, and I’ll go wake him up.”
“Sure,” Karli replied, taking the spatula from his hand. Sam took a second before going upstairs. “What?”
“I missed you,” Sam said sincerely. Karli offered him a small smile.
“I missed you too,” she echoed. “Thanks for coming home.”
“Of course,” Sam whispered. He took a second to deliberate before moving forward and hugging her. She hugged him back just as tight. “I’ll be right back with Buck.”
Sam let go of Karli and bound up the stairs excitedly. He hadn’t seen Bucky in a few weeks, and he just wanted to squeeze the daylights out of him.
“Hey, sleeping beauty,” Sam whispered when he walked into their room. He sat down on the bed next to Bucky and rubbed his back. Bucky only startled slightly before turning to grin at Sam.
“Good morning, handsome,” he drawled, and if Sam hadn’t missed him so much, he would’ve been appalled by the cheesiness. Instead, his heart swelled.
“Morning, baby,” he replied, moving forward to kiss Bucky. The kiss lasted longer than Sam originally intended but shorter than he wished it had. “I left Karli downstairs with breakfast and the present.”
“Oh, yes, this mystery present,” Bucky said, getting out of bed and putting on the pajama pants he never slept in.
“Presents are typically mysteries until you open them, Bucky.”
“Shut the hell up, Sam,” he countered, leaving the room with a laughing Sam behind him. “Good morning, birthday girl.”
“Morning, Pooks,” Karli replied, placing the finished eggs on the counter. Sam raised an eyebrow at the abbreviation, and Bucky just shrugged. “So, the present.”
“I think we should eat first,” Sam told her, taking out three forks. The two super soldiers both groaned. “Trust me, okay. You’re gonna be too excited to eat after you open it.”
“You’re really talking this gift up,” Bucky said, scooping food onto his plate. “It better be good.”
“It is,” Sam stated, and Bucky and Karli exchanged a look before diving into their food. The meal lasted all of five minutes. “Damn, a guy tries to make a nice birthday/Valentine’s breakfast and doesn’t even get a thanks.”
“Thanks, doll,” Bucky said, kissing Sam on the cheek.
“Yeah, thanks, da-Sam. Thanks, Sam,” Karli recovered, blushing hard. Sam’s heart skipped a beat, and he felt Bucky’s eyes on him, but they both elected to ignore the slip up.
“Alright,” Sam said, hoping off his stool. “Both of you close your eyes, and I’ll bring it in.”
Bucky and Karli did as they were told, and Sam went to go retrieve the box. He smiled down at the present before going back into the kitchen. He pulled the present out of the box and held it in his hands.
“Okay, open,” Sam instructed, and they both opened their eyes to see Sam holding a little white kitten.
“Is that a cat?” Bucky asked, a smile taking over his face.
“You got us a cat?” Karli asked just as excited.
“Yes, I did,” Sam answered, petting the animal in his hands. “Me and Torres found this little cutie on the side of the road on one of our missions. We brought her to a vet, and they took her to a kennel, but I went back the next day and told them that I wanted her.”
“She’s so cute,” Karli said, moving forward to pet her. Sam placed her in her arms.
“Does she have a name?” Bucky questioned, petting the cat in Karli’s arms.
“Nope, but I was thinking something having to do with snow. Maybe snowball,” Sam suggested.
“Flurry?” Bucky offered.
“Alpine,” Karli stated firmly. She looked up to confirm with Sam and Bucky. “She looks like an Alpine.”
“She does,” Bucky confirmed, smiling more at Karli than the cat.
“Alpine it is then,” Sam said, and just like that, they had added a new member to their little family.
...
Sam was only in town for a day, so he spent as much time with his family as possible. They spent a good portion of the day at Sarah’s house where they had a cake for Karli. Cass and AJ made Karli homemade cards, and Sam swore that he almost saw her cry.
After dinner at Sarah’s, Sam, Bucky, and Karli went home. They watched a movie that Karli picked before they all retired to bed. Sam could not have been happier to be in bed with Bucky. He missed sleeping in a real bed, but he missed holding Bucky even more.
“I don’t want you to go,” Bucky confessed. Sam wasn’t sure if he meant that he didn’t want Sam doing missions anymore, or if he just wanted to spend more time with Sam. “I know you have to, but I just miss you so much.”
“I miss you too,” Sam whispered, kissing the top of Bucky’s head. “I wish I could just stay here forever.”
“I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever,” Bucky said, and Sam felt like the conversation was moving into serious territory. “It’s selfish, I know, but I just...God, I just want to spend every second with you. Really, I’d just like to spend more time with you. You left as soon as we got started.”
“I know, baby, I know.”
“I don’t want you to give up being Captain America. That’s the last thing I want. I just wish that maybe you could be just Sam a little more.”
“Maybe I can work something out,” Sam offered, being completely genuine. He was feeling everything Bucky was feeling. Bucky shook his head against Sam’s chest.
“I’m just being dramatic,” Bucky told him, but Sam wasn’t believing it. “You don’t need to change anything. Just keep coming home to me as often as you can.”
“Bucky--”
“That’s enough talking for the night,” Bucky said, rushing forward to kiss Sam. “You’re only here one night, Cap. Haven’t you ever heard what soldiers do on leave?”
...
Karli had been absolutely loving college. Her classes were great, and she felt like a normal kid for once in her life. The only problem was the whole social thing. Despite her promise to Sam, she hadn’t made any friends.
It wasn’t necessarily a problem. It was more of an annoyance. For example, she had to do a group project in class, and they got to pick their partners. Karli had been in that class for weeks, but she still hadn’t spoken to anyone in it. In the end, the professor had to assign her with a girl who had missed class the day they got to pick.
Karli saw this as an opportunity to maybe make a friend. She got to class on the day that they were going to be working on their projects and sat down next to her partner. The other girl promptly glared at her before standing up.
“Look, I know that Professor Smith put us together, and I have full intentions of doing my part of the project,” the girl told her. “But, don’t think for a second that I’m going to actually work with you. I don’t work with terrorists. Just send me your half when you’re done, and I’ll put them together.”
“I--I’m not a--”
“A terrorist?” the girl asked, face hard. “You most certainly are. You should be in jail with all the other scumbags you worked with. Captain America saw something in you that simply does not exist. You’re a horrible person, and you’re never going to amount to anything.”
“I--”
“Save it,” the girl spat. “I’m just going to tell Professor Smith I’m not working with you. I’m not even sure how you were let into college.”
With that, the girl walked away, and Karli felt like she was going to throw up. Her head was spinning, and she could hear the blood rushing to her ears. She quickly grabbed her things and ran outside.
Once she got outside, she leaned against the side of the building and took a few breaths. She tried to calm herself down, but nothing was working. She couldn’t get the girl’s words out of her head.
Captain America saw something in you that simply does not exist. That was it. Karli pulled out her phone with a shaking hand and called Sam. Even as she held the phone up to her ear, she was having doubts. Sam had so many more important things to worry about than some bully. She almost hung up, but she heard Sam’s voice.
“Karli?” he asked, and she could hear the worry in his voice, but she couldn’t bring herself to answer. “Karli? Are you okay? Where are you?”
“I’m at school,” she hurried out. She took another breath. “This girl...in my class...she was supposed to work with me, but she called me a….she called me a terrorist.”
“Karli--”
“She said I was a horrible person. She was right about everything, Sam. I don’t deserve to be here. I don’t deserve you and Bucky. I deserve to be in jail. I’m a horrible person. I’m evil.”
“Woah, woah, woah,” Sam interrupted her. “Karli, can you sit down somewhere?”
“Yeah, there’s a bench over here,” she replied, walking over and sitting down.
“Okay, now I need you to breathe with me,” he told her. “In two, three, four. Out two, three, four, five. Again. Good. You’re doing great. Now, I need you to listen to me.”
“Sam--”
“No, just listen,” Sam stated, and Karli stopped talking. “I said it the day of the GRC incident and I’ll say it again: you are not a terrorist. You are not a horrible person, and you are the farthest thing from evil. You did some things that weren’t right, sure, but you’re not evil. If you were evil, you wouldn’t have felt the remorse you did in New York, and you wouldn’t be so upset right now.”
Karli knew that deep down, but she still wasn’t believing it. “That doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t be in jail. I shouldn’t be here. I shouldn’t have this life.”
“Karli, if they sent you to jail, all it would have done was made you hate them even more. You would’ve spent your time there working on a plan to ruin them for good. You would’ve come out evil,” Sam explained. “They did the best thing they could have done which was to send you to an environment that could support you and allow you to grow as an individual.”
“But--”
“But nothing, bud,” Sam said simply. “That girl has no idea what she’s talking about. The Flag Smashers who ended up in prison were ones with serious criminal offenses. Everyone else was able to be sent to places that had aid. You know that. You know that that’s what I was working on all summer.”
Sam let her absorb that information before proceeding. “And she doesn’t know shit about you. She doesn’t know how much you’ve grown. She doesn’t know how kind you are. She doesn’t know that you spend every second you can spending time with your little cousins. She doesn’t know that you work every weekend so your aunt doesn’t need to. She doesn’t know how you take care of Bucky when I’m not around because God knows he can’t do it himself.” Karli laughed at that. “She doesn’t know that your first instinct after having a panic attack wasn’t to go break something or someone. It was to call me. If that was another super soldier, they might have done something catastrophic. But you tried to calm yourself down, and then you called someone for support. You did the right thing, which you’ve done a thousand times. The bad things are miniscule compared to all the good.”
“Thank you,” Karli whispered. She wiped away a tear she didn’t know fell. “No, seriously. Thank you. I feel so stupid, and you were probably busy. You didn’t need to pick up.”
“I’m never too busy for you,” Sam told her. “If I was in the middle of a battlefield, I would still stop to pick up your call.”
“Well, that’s dumb,” Karli replied, causing him to laugh. “Sam?”
“Yeah?”
“I love you,” Karli whispered, and now it was Sam’s turn to let a tear fall. “Thank you for everything.”
“I love you too, Karls.”
“Don’t tell Bucky I said that to you first. He would be so mad.”
“He’d probably break up with me,” Sam joked. “Your secret is safe with me. Are you okay now? Do you want me to call Sarah or Bucky to pick you up?”
“I have my favorite class next, and I think I should be okay to go,” Karli responded. “I’ll call you later on to let you know how the rest of the day went, okay?”
“Alright,” Sam said, smiling to himself. “I’ll talk to you later.”
“Bye, Cooke.”
...
Bucky hadn’t gotten much sleep the night before. He tossed and turned for what felt like hours until he eventually drifted into a sleep that was just as unpleasant as being awake. Bucky had nightmare after nightmare.
Falling from the train. Steve leaving him alone. Sam falling from the sky. Karli not waking up after being shot. Hydra coming after the Wilsons. He couldn’t shake all of the bad things going on inside his head, both real and fake.
He sat up in bed not having any idea what to do. He sat against the headboard and tried to collect himself. He tried to steady his breathing. He tried to imagine Sam’s arms around him, grounding him.
Sam. He needed Sam. He sprang out of bed and grabbed one of Sam’s hoodies from their closet. He slipped it over his head and took in the scent that he had missed so much. It was good, but it wasn’t enough. He needed Sam’s voice.
Bucky pulled out his phone and went through his voicemail box. He spent a few minutes looking through the messages until he found one he had saved from when he was ignoring Sam.
“Hey, Buck,” Sam said into the phone. “I see you’re still not picking up my calls. That’s okay. I’m not going anywhere. It’s not because I feel an obligation to Steve, so don’t think that bullshit. Despite my best efforts, I’ve begun to care about your old ass. So, pick up next time. Or don’t. I’ll just call again. You’re stuck with me, Bucky Barnes, so you’d better get used to it.”
Bucky replayed the voicemail over and over again until he fell asleep. He woke up hours later to several texts from Sam. The texts were recalling the incident that had taken place while Bucky was asleep. Sam told Bucky everything besides the I love you part. Sam figured that Karli would still probably be shaken up when she got home, and he wanted Bucky to be prepared.
Regardless of all of that, Bucky was not prepared. He paced around the house a million times waiting for Karli to get home. He had no idea what she was going to do. He had no idea what he was going to say.
Bucky heard the front door open and stopped pacing. Karli looked up from the ground to see him standing a few feet in front of her. They both stood there for a second before Karli rushed into his arms.
She had never hugged him that tight before, and it took him a minute to reciprocate. Eventually, he wrapped his vibranium arm around her shoulders and used the other one to smooth her hair.
“You’re okay,” Bucky whispered. “I’ve got you. I’m right here.”
After a few minutes of holding her, Bucky pulled away and looked down at her. “Wanna go for a drive?”
...
It turned out that a driving session was exactly what Karli needed. She had been showing a lot of improvement, and Bucky was very impressed. He told her that he would book her driver’s license test as soon as the DMV had an opening.
After a few hours of driving and some fast food for dinner, they went home. Karli said that she had some homework to catch up on, so she went to her room early. Bucky left her alone for a few hours until it was time for him to go to bed. He walked into her room to find her sitting on her bed petting Alpine.
“This doesn’t look like homework,” he said, sitting on at the foot of the bed. Alpine walked over to cuddle against his leg. He pet her head. “Hey, buddy.”
“Yeah, I finished my homework, and I was going to head to bed,” Karli explained. “I just called Sam to check in.”
“Hey, that was my plan too,” Bucky told her. “A nice facetime, and then off to sleep.”
“He said he was waiting for you to call him,” Karli stated. Bucky nodded, smiling down at Alpine. “I didn’t tell him that I’m going to go for my license soon. I want it to be a surprise.”
“Your secret is safe with me,” Bucky said, and she smiled remembering her conversation with Sam from earlier. “What?”
“Nothing. I just think you and Sam are really made for each other.”
“You think so?” he asked, unsure of why he cared about her opinion on the matter so much.
“For sure.”
“I love him a lot,” Buck said dreamily. Then he sobered for a second. “I love you a lot too.”
“Did he tell you?” Karli asked, narrowing her eyes. Bucky looked at her quizzically.
“Tell me what?”
“Nothing,” she muttered. Then she smirked. “Just a secret.”
“You’re keeping secrets from me?” he gasped. “I hate you.”
“Hey, you just told me you loved me,” she countered. Bucky shrugged, getting off the bed and handing Alpine back to her.
“I lied,” he lied. He looked at her for a second before he decided to sit back down. “I know we didn’t talk much about it, and I didn’t want to pry, but I have to say something.”
“Okay,” Karli said, not knowing where he was going with that.
“I know what it’s like for the whole world to think you’re a villain,” Bucky told her. She let out a breath. “And, I know that no matter what the people who love you say, it’s very hard to believe that you’re not what people say you are. I still struggle with it. I know how hard it can be, but you have to remember who you are. We can’t tell you. We can support you, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what we think of you. You need to be able to look in the mirror and know that you’re so much more than what those people say. If you need help getting to that point, we will do everything we can to help you.”
“Thank you,” Karli said softly. She looked him in the eyes. “I love you too by the way.”
“I know,” he told her, standing up and kissing her head. “Get some sleep.”
“I planned on it,” she replied, and he fake laughed before glaring at her and leaving. He heard her laugh from the hallway as he pulled out his phone to facetime Sam.
“Getting ready for bed?” Sam answered the phone as Bucky began to strip down to his boxers, slid Sam’s sweatshirt from the night before on, and climb into bed.
“Had to make a phone call first,” he told him. He looked at Sam’s smile through the phone. “Karli seems better. She’s pretty excited for--Oops, never mind.”
“What is she excited for?” Sam asked, and Bucky just shrugged. “Really? Secrets are for kids.”
“She told me you had a secret from me too, so I don’t care.”
“Whatever,” Sam told him. They both looked at each other seriously for a moment. “Today was a lot.”
“It was,” Bucky concurred. “It all worked out, but it would’ve been easier if you were actually here.”
“Buck--”
“You were right. It was a long day. I’m pretty tired. I should go to sleep.”
“Oh, okay,” Sam said, knowing that Bucky was just ignoring the problem, but he didn’t have the heart to stop him. “I love you, baby.”
“I love you too, Sam,” Bucky replied, trying his hardest not to cry. “Please be careful. And, please come home soon.”
...
Sam woke up the next morning, and he still couldn’t think straight. All he could do was worry about Bucky and Karli. They didn’t have anything to do that day. They were just finding information on the bad guy they were chasing that week.
Sam was supposed to be researching, but he was completely distracted. Joaquin could tell. He didn’t know what was going on, but he figured it had something to do with Sam wanting to go home.
“Sam, can we have a serious conversation?” he asked, shaking Sam out of his stupor. “I’m addressing you as Sam and not as Cap because this is a conversation between me and my friend and not me and my CO.”
“Okay, what’s on your mind?” Sam questioned, concerned for him.
“It’s not so much what’s on my mind and more of what’s on yours,” Joaquin explained, but Sam still wasn’t getting it. Joaquin let out a breath. “Look, Sam, I don’t really need you here.”
“Thanks, buddy,” Sam said sarcastically, and Joaquin just shook his head.
“Really, you should take it as more of a compliment,” Joaquin stated, and oddly enough, Sam did not take it as such. “You gave me the wings. You’ve trained me for the past year. You’ve given me everything I need to succeed. And, what you need is a job that takes less time away from your family.”
“I’m Captain America, Torres. It’s not that easy.”
“It is that easy though,” Joaquin pushed. “Most of the time you’re here, we don’t even do much fighting. You can do all this stupid research from home, and I can call you in when there’s a fight. You have those high-tech wings that can get you across the country in seconds. And, if it’s a smaller fight, I’d hope that you would trust me to handle it on my own.”
“But, what would people say?” Sam questioned. It was a good idea, but he didn’t need any more hesitation as to whether he deserved the shield or not.
“The work you did from home last year was phenomenal. Nobody is questioning whether you deserve to be Cap or not. Well, nobody who matters,” Joaquin told him. “As long as you stop the bad guys and keep the country from falling apart or being destroyed, nobody is going to care that you’re home with your family.”
“What if they care that I’m home with my boyfriend and foster daughter who almost destroyed said country?” Sam countered. Joaquin was silent for a moment.
“Look, Sam, you’re never going to succeed in the eyes of bigots. They’re always going to see the flaws. They’re always going to use the little shit to make you look bad. That doesn’t matter though. What matters is that you save the world despite what they all say. What matters is that you take care of yourself while taking care of the world. So, go home. Spend the summer there, and I’ll call you the minute there’s a threat. You’re still going to be Captain America, but just a healthier version.”
“I couldn’t have picked a better person to give those wings to, Torres,” Sam told him, clapping him on the shoulder. “Let’s get this bastard so I can go home.”
...
It was Sam and Bucky’s one year anniversary, and they weren’t spending it together. Sam was still on his mission, and Bucky was taking Karli to her driver’s test.
“You nervous?” he asked as they pulled into the DMV. He knew that she was, but he didn’t know if she was going to admit it.
“A little,” she replied sincerely. He looked her in the eyes.
“You have nothing to be nervous about,” he told her. He knew that it didn’t matter what he said, but he wanted to make sure that Karli knew he believed in her. “You’re more than prepared.”
“Excuse me, are you Karli Morgenthau?” the instructor asked as he came up to the car.
“Yes, that’s me,” Karli answered, and Bucky could hear the shakiness in her voice.
“Okay, I’m your instructor for the day,” the man said. He looked toward Bucky. “Your dad can wait on this bench, and we should be back with the results in no more than ten minutes.”
“Oh, I’m not her--”
“Sounds good,” Karli replied, getting into the car with the instructor. She ignored Bucky’s stare as she began the test.
Bucky sat down on the bench with a smile on his face and the knowledge that she was going to pass her test. Ten minutes later, Karli pulled the car into the parking space and got out. The instructor walked into the building, and Karli walked over to Bucky with a sad look on her face. Bucky’s heart dropped.
“Aww, pea, what happened?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” she whispered. Then, she looked up with a smirk. “But, I passed.”
“You’re such a little shit,” Bucky groaned as Karli led him to the building where they needed to fill out paperwork and she needed to take her picture. “I can’t believe you have your license.”
“I am officially a licensed lesbian,” Karli joked, causing Bucky to cackle.
“Alright, then you can drive this bionic l bisexual home,” Bucky tried, but Karli didn’t laugh. “Shut the hell up and get in the car.”
“It’s not my fault that you’re not funny,” Karli told him, and Bucky glared at her. She began driving home.
“I’ll have you know that a lot of people think I’m hilarious,” Bucky stated.
“Yeah?” Karli asked. “Name one.”
“Sam.”
“Sleeping with you.”
“Disgusting. Okay, Sarah.”
“Sarah doesn’t think you’re funny. She laughs because she feels bad.”
“That's so rude and untrue. Fine. Cass and AJ think I’m very funny.”
“Are you kidding? You can’t seriously think that Cass and AJ count. They think everything is funny.”
“Are you telling me that you think there’s someone funnier than me?” Bucky asked. He gasped. “Do you think Sam is funnier than I am?”
“Yes, that’s not even a question,” Karli answered, pulling into the driveway. Bucky got out of the car, and Karli followed.
“Sam is not funnier than I am,” Bucky stated, opening the front door.
“Sam is totally funnier than you. Most people are,” Karli told him. “That doesn’t mean Sam is the funniest person on the planet, but he certainly has you beat.”
“I think I’m plenty funny,” a voice said from the kitchen. “I think Bucky is funny too though.”
“Sam?” Bucky asked as he walked into the kitchen. When he came face to face with his boyfriend, his heart stopped beating. “What are you doing here?”
“What are you holding?” Sam asked Karli. She and Bucky shared a conspiratorial smirk.
“Oh nothing. It’s just my new driver’s license,” Karli replied easily. She watched Sam’s eyes go wide.
“What?” he demanded. He practically ran across the kitchen to scoop her up in a hug. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Thanks, Cooke, but I can’t breathe,” she squeaked out, and Sam let her go. “Do Aunt Sarah and the boys know you’re here? We were supposed to have a celebratory dinner there tonight.”
“No, I didn’t make my way over there yet,” Sam replied. “A celebratory dinner sounds great though. You think we can make it an anniversary dinner too?”
“I’m sure we can work that out,” Karli told him. She looked over at Bucky who was still dumbstruck. “I’ll head over, but I won’t tell them you’re here yet.”
“Thanks, kiddo. And, congratulations again,” Sam said softly as Karli made her way to the door.
“It’s good to have you home, Sam,” she replied over her shoulder before exiting the house.
Sam smiled and turned his attention to Bucky. “Happy anniversary, baby.”
“What are you doing here?” Bucky asked again, and Sam couldn’t tell what emotion was coating his words. “How long are you here? Because I love when you come home, but I can’t deal with just another one night thing. It’s too hard.”
“I’m here for the whole summer,” Sam stated, taking Bucky’s hands in his. “It’s not working out with me being away. I need to be here. I need to be with you. I can’t help anyone if I’m not taking care of myself.”
“But, how?” Bucky questioned not believing it.
“Me and Torres worked something out. I can do a lot of work from here, and he’ll call me in if there’s any big fights,” Sam explained. “But, until there’s another big fight, I’m here with you.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really,” Sam told him. He loosened his grip on Bucky’s hands. “Unless that’s not what you want.”
Bucky rammed himself into Sam and kissed him. “Of course that’s what I want, bird brain. That’s the only thing I want.”
“Good,” Sam said, kissing him again. “I think we have an anniversary dinner to get to.”
“It’s really not an anniversary dinner.”
“It’s dinner on our anniversary. I’m counting it,” Sam stated, kissing Bucky one last time before heading to Sarah’s house. They walked in to find Sarah in the kitchen and Karli in the living room playing with AJ and Cass.
“Hey!” Bucky announced, smirking at Sam. “Let’s give it up for Captain America.”
“Sam?” Sarah asked, rushing to the front door.
“Uncle Sam!” Cass and AJ yelled, jumping into his arms.
“I missed you guys,” Sam said, kissing Sarah on the cheek. “What’s this I heard about a celebratory dinner?”
“Well, we knew Karli was going to pass her test, so we had to treat our girl right,” Sarah explained, smiling at her niece and going back into the kitchen.
“Yeah, Karli is gonna drive us around now,” AJ told Sam as he put the two boys down.
“I am not,” Karli joked. “You’re gonna have to pay for gas if you want me to drive you around.”
“Uncle Bucky will pay,” Cass said, and Bucky picked him up and held him upside down as he walked to the dining room.
“Oh really?” he asked a giggling Cass. “I didn’t know I was made of money.”
“It’s that old money,” Sarah joked from the stove.
“You all think you’re so funny,” Bucky mocked as he began setting the table. He looked at Sam who was still standing in the doorway. “What?”
“Just glad to be home,” Sam said dreamily.
“That’s great and all, but you can at least help out now that you’re here,” Bucky told him.
“Yeah, yeah,” Sam replied, heading into the dining room. “Whatever you say, old man.”
With all the yelling and joking and ribbing, most people would think that the Wilson family was a little too much. They would say that it wasn’t a relaxing environment to be in. They would be sorely mistaken though. Sam wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, and he could not wait to spend another crazy summer with his dysfunctional (to say the least) family.