more than a feeling

In hindsight, Sam knew that Sharon shooting Karli was the right thing to do. She wasn’t going to stop. She was going to shoot Sam. Sharon did what she had to do. But, sitting there, holding Karli’s hand, Sam didn’t feel like this was ever the right thing to do.

“Hey, you’re gonna be just fine,” Sam assured her. Moments ago, she was trying to kill him, but he was treating her with the same kindness he would anyone else. “We can get you to a hospital. It’ll be fine.”

“I didn’t want to hurt you, Sam,” Karli whispered. A tear fell from her eye. “I just wanted justice.”

“I know that,” Sam told her. “We’re gonna fix you up, okay? Everything is going to be okay.”

“I don’t deserve that. I hurt people.”

“You do know who my best friend is, right? I believe that people always deserve a second chance,” Sam stated simply. He lifted her body into his arms. “I’m gonna make sure you get that second chance.”

...

Sam flew Karli to the nearest hospital. It didn’t take much begging to get the doctors to take care of her. He was Captain America, and this was a teenage girl after all. 

“Hey, Buck, would you be able to get over to the hospital and wait for Karli? I have to deal with the GRC people,” Sam said into his ear piece.

“On my way,” Bucky replied. “What happened in there?”

“It’s a long story,” Sam muttered. “I’ll tell you about it later.”

...

After Sam’s first ever official Captain America speech, he knew that he still wasn’t done being a diplomat that day. He knew what they were going to do to Karli, and he knew that he couldn’t let that happen. There was no way in hell that he was letting them lock that girl in a prison.

It took a lot of begging and negotiations, but eventually Sam had convinced the GRC that the best place for Karli to be was under the watchful eye of Captain America. He had to promise to make sure that she didn’t get into any trouble, which was an easy promise to make. He knew that she already felt remorseful for everything she had done. Plus, Sam wasn’t letting her movement die. He was going to get them justice. 

“Hey, how’s she doing?” Sam asked when found Bucky in the hospital. He was standing outside of Karli’s room.

“She’s still in surgery,” Bucky explained. “She’ll be out soon. I told the doctors that I was here under Captain America’s orders, and that he wanted to know every detail about her condition.”

“And they agreed to that?”

“Hey, the people of America will do anything for the man with that shield,” Bucky told him. He wanted to add especially me.

“Guess I’ll have to get used to that,” Sam responded. There was something hanging in the air, and neither one of them knew what to say. 

“We need to help her,” Bucky blurted out.

“I know that,” Sam agreed.

“She’s just a kid.”

“I know that as well.”

“What are we gonna do?” Bucky asked sincerely. Sam was actually taken aback by how seriously Bucky was taking this.

“I’m thinking of taking her back to Louisiana with me,” Sam stated. Bucky scoffed.

“You don’t know how to take care of a super soldier teenager.”

“Excuse me?” Sam questioned, eyebrows shooting up. “And you do?”

“Well, I don’t know anything about kids, but I do know about super soldiers,” Bucky explained. 

“Funny because I happen to know a lot about kids,” Sam retorted. Bucky squinted at him. 

“Are you suggesting what I think you’re suggesting?”

“You liked Louisiana when you were there with me.”

“I mean, yeah, I guess.”

“So then, problem solved.”

“I don’t see how this is a ‘problem solved’ situation,” Bucky stated. “We can’t take care of a kid together.”

“Bucky, she’s barely a kid. She’s like nineteen or something. We’re just giving her a home and some guidance.”

“And you want to do that with me?” Bucky asked. Sam offered him a smile.

“I think it’s time that we admit that we’re a good team,” Sam replied. “We work well together, and we can handle this. Plus, you’d be much happier to be around people who care about you instead of being holed up in New York all alone.”

“Aww, you care about me, Sammy?”

“Nope,” Sam said, popping the p sound. “I despise you. I’d just feel better if I could see you everyday and know that you’re not doing anything stupid here.”

“That’s the Sam I know and don’t love,” Bucky replied, and Sam barked out a laugh. Just then, the doctors rolled Karli’s bed into her room. The two men shared a glance knowing that they were going to be embarking on a very interesting little adventure.

…

Sam and Bucky spent the hours that Karli was still asleep booking their flights to Louisiana. Bucky left for a bit to pack up the few belongings he had at his apartment. When he came back, Sam was asleep in a chair, and Karli was just waking up.

“Morning,” Bucky greeted quietly. He walked over to the bed and sat down in the other chair.

“Morning,” she echoed. 

“So, um, we have a plan in place, and we wanted some of your input,” Bucky told her. She nodded. “Sam and I think it would be best if you stayed with us for a while. Sam’s sister lives in Louisiana, and we would be going to stay with her for a little while. We’re not going to make you do anything you don’t want to do, so if you don’t want to come, then we’ll figure out another plan.”

“I’ll go,” Karli said simply. Bucky’s eyes went wide. He was very prepared to give a whole speech to convince her. “It’s not like I have anywhere else to go.”

“Oh,” Bucky muttered, not knowing what to say. “Well, I don’t have anywhere else to go either, but Sam is being kind enough to let us stay with his family for a little while. He’s got a knack for rehabilitating super soldiers.”

“He seems kind to the point of delusional,” Karli stated, causing Bucky to laugh. He looked at Sam, sleeping peacefully.

“That’s one way to put it for sure.”

...

The flight to Louisiana was smooth. Sam and Bucky sat together and Karli sat across from them. It wasn’t long until Bucky was dozing off and using Sam’s arm as a pillow. Karli looked over at them and saw a very small smile on Sam’s face.

They arrived at Sarah’s house three hours later. Between the three of them, they didn’t have many personal items, so they didn’t need much help with their luggage. Bucky brought most of his belongings from his apartment, which was like 10 things in total, Karli only had a backpack which was filled with God knows what, and Sam had a change of clothes, his suit, his wings, and some other equipment. 

“Why don’t you two head on in and get settled?” Sam asked Karli and Bucky once they got on the porch. Sarah came out to greet them. 

“Hi, Sarah,” Bucky said with a cheeky grin which was returned. 

“Hi, Bucky,” she echoed. Karli went in the house without another word, and Bucky followed her. “So, you’ve brought home another stray dog.”

“I’d like to think of Bucky as more of a cat,” Sam joked. Sarah glared at him. “Yes, okay, I’m sorry. I know that this is too much, and the three of us are too much, but I didn’t have anywhere else to go. Me and Bucky need to help this girl, and we need to do it together.”

“I know that,” Sarah stated. “You think I didn’t know that you weren’t going to take Karli in the moment she called me? I knew all three of you were coming.”

“Of course you did.”

“But, Sam, you can’t live here,” she told him. “Karli is taking your room, and you and Bucky are gonna have to stay on the couches for now. That’s no way to live, Sam. So, you are going to fix up Titi’s old house, and the three of you will live there.”

After Sam’s aunt died, she left her house to Sam and Sarah. Their parents begged them never to sell it, so they never did. Plus, the house was so old and decrepit that they would never be able to sell it anyway. It was Sam’s dream house though. It was right next to his parents’ house. Ever since he was a little kid, he imagined raising a family there. In some odd way, this felt like that. 

“You really already planned this whole thing out, huh?”

“The minute she called me,” Sarah confirmed. Sam rolled his eyes and opened the front door for Sarah. “I’ll start cooking up dinner. Why don’t you go tell the husband and daughter the plan?”

“Shut the hell up,” Sam grumbled under his breath, causing Sarah to laugh.

...

They all ate dinner as a very awkward family. Nobody quite knew just what to say to each other. Sam and Bucky kept sharing glances, which caused Sarah to smile down at her food.

“Okay, Sam, Bucky, you take care of the dishes,” Sarah said after dinner. “Boys, you start getting ready for bed. And, Karli, I’ll help you settle into your room.”

“Oh, Sarah, we can help her,” Bucky offered, but Sarah shook her head.

“Girl talk,” she explained, and Bucky furrowed his eyebrows but nodded. “Alright, Karli, come on.”

Karli had already been to Sam’s room to drop off her backpack, so she knew where she was going. She got there before Sarah and waited. A few moments later, Sarah came in with two bins.

“Okay, so in this bin we have some new sheets because Lord knows the last time Sam washed those,” Sarah joked, causing Karli to let out a soft laugh. “And in this bin there’s some of my old clothes that I think should fit you. Now, in the bathroom I have all sorts of products you can use. If you need anything else, don’t be scared to ask. And, when y’all move in next door, I can take you shopping to pick up anything else you might need.”

“Thank you,” Karli whispered, not looking at Sarah. She lifted her gaze to see a grinning Sarah. “Seriously, thank you. You’ve been nothing but kind to me, and I don’t deserve it. I know I’m only staying here until the house is fixed up, but you’ve let me into your home, and I really appreciate that, especially after everything.”

“It’s no problem sweetheart.”

“I am really sorry about scaring you with that call,” Karli said sincerely, and Sarah’s smile faltered slightly. “I thought that I was doing the right thing at the time, but I know now that I was very wrong. I never should’ve threatened you and your family.”

“All is forgiven,” Sarah assured her. Karli offered her a small smile. “Now, why don’t we make your bed?”

In the kitchen, Sam and Bucky were just finishing the dishes. Sam put the final dish in the cabinet and Bucky shut off the faucet. Sam then went to the closet and got some pillows and blankets for the couches. He threw a pillow at Bucky who was making his way toward the couch.

“You really shouldn’t attack former assassins,” Bucky scolded him. Sam rolled his eyes. 

“It’s a pillow, Mr. Deadliest Man in the World. I’m sure you’ll survive,” Sam retorted, heading over to his couch. He heard Karli and Sarah laughing from down the hall. “Man, I’m not sure what exactly we got ourselves into.”

“We’ll find out tomorrow. Right now, I’m going to sleep because somebody kept me up with their nonsense talking all last night.”

“Hey, it wasn’t nonsense,” Sam scoffed. What he really wanted to say was I’d rather have kept you up all night doing something else. “Whatever. Go to sleep, old man.”

...

The next day, it was time to get to work on the house. Sam and Bucky decided that Karli would help fix up the house. If Karli was helping with the house, Sam and Bucky could keep an eye on her. Plus, it would give her a good work ethic or whatever. She wasn’t living there for free. She was going to have to pull her own weight, and in this case, pulling her weight meant house demolition.

“So, we’re just gonna be breaking things?” Karli asked as Bucky led her into the house.

“Yes, pretty much,” Bucky replied. “The serum is going to make it a lot easier, so what would’ve been a several day job for me and Sam will only take me and you a few hours.”

“Sam’s not helping?”

“Not today, no. He had to go to the store to get the drywall that you’re going to help him put up tomorrow.”

“Oh, goody,” Karli said sarcastically, causing Bucky to laugh. “Where do we start?”

“Well, we need to rip up all the floors on both levels. And we need to knock down a few walls,” Bucky explained. “I can show you what we need to do, and then we can split up if you want.”

“Works for me.”

That’s exactly what they did. Bucky worked on the upstairs floors while Karli did the downstairs. It only took a few hours for the floors to be ripped up. Bucky’s phone began to ring as we pulled up the last panel. 

“Hello, Samuel,” Bucky greeted into the phone. “I’m almost done here.”

“Where’s Karli?” Sam questioned. Bucky shrugged before he remembered he wasn’t talking to Sam in person.

“She’s working downstairs.”

“Bucky,” Sam groaned. Bucky knew that Sam was trying to sound serious, but Bucky couldn’t help but smile to himself. “You’re supposed to be bonding with her.”

“I’m going to bond with her now. Would you calm down?”

“I’m very calm,” Sam replied. “Just go spend time with the kid, will you?”

“Sure, whatever you say, Dad,” Bucky retorted. He wished he could’ve seen Sam’s face when he said that. 

“Goodbye, Bucky. I won’t be home for a few hours still, so whenever you’re done just head over to Sarah’s.”

“Got it. See you later,” Bucky said before hanging up the phone. He shoved his phone into his pocket, took a breath, and went downstairs. “How’s it going down here?”

“Just finished,” Karli responded, tossing a floor panel into the pile she had going. “Walls next?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Bucky said, causing Karli to roll her eyes. He smiled to himself. Maybe hanging out with Karli would be easier than he thought. “It’ll take some serious teamwork. Think you’re up for it?”

“I think we’ll do just fine,” Karli stated. She smiled slightly at the older man. 

The two worked in silence for a few minutes before Bucky remembered what Sam had said. He was supposed to be bonding with Karli. Karli was an interesting name, wasn’t it?

“So, is your full name Karli?” Bucky asked, ripping some drywall of the framing. 

“Yep,” Karli said simply. “Your name isn’t Bucky though, right? It’s James.”

“Correct. Bucky is just a nickname. My...uh...an old friend gave it to me. Do you have a nickname?”

“Not really. I’ve always just been Karli.”

“Do you want a nickname?” Bucky asked. Karli looked at him sideways. 

“I don’t think a nickname is necessary.”

“Oh, okay, well, let me know if you change your mind,” Bucky told her. Karli offered him a tight lipped smile as she pulled the last of the drywall off. “Looks like we’re all done here.”

Without another word, Karli and Bucky left the house and went to Sarah’s. Karli walked straight in and over to the table. She murmured a response to Sam who greeted her happily. Sam grinned and Bucky.

“Shut up,” Bucky grumbled. 

“I haven’t said anything yet,” Sam informed him. “How was your first bonding day?”

“Come on, let’s go help Sarah with dinner. The kids are getting hungry,” Bucky said, trying to change the subject. Sam just stood there grinning mockingly. “Ugh, fine. We didn’t bond, but I intend on bonding more in the future. It was just the first day.”

“Whatever you say,” Sam said, leaning closer to Bucky’s ear and adding, “Dad.” Sam cackled before heading into the kitchen. “What can we do to help, Sar?”

“Yes, what can we do, ma’am?” Bucky asked, smiling at the woman who smiled right back. Sam handed him the salad bowl.

“You can stop flirting with my sister and go sit in the dining room with the other kids.”

Kids, Bucky mouthed, letting out a low whistle afterwards. He shared a knowing smile with Sarah before leaving the kitchen and heading to the dining room. Karli squinted at him, and Bucky avoided her eyes, wondering what she thought she knew.

...

The next morning, Karli awoke to Sam standing over her bed. She groaned and put one of her pillows over her face.

“Wakey, wakey,” Sam greeted. Karli let out another groan. “Come on. I heard you had a great day with Bucky yesterday. So, now it’s my turn. Ready to hang some drywall?”

“Do I look ready to hang drywall?” she questioned. Sam gave her a once over.

“No, you look like a zombie. Go get ready, and I’ll save some breakfast for you. Then, it’s drywall time.”

“Is it too early to say that Bucky is my favorite?” Karli asked as Sam left the room.

“Yes!” Sam called back from down the hall. Sam walked into the kitchen to see Sarah and Bucky making breakfast. “This is too domestic for me. You two better not be falling in love over those eggs.”

“You’re too late, Sam. Bucky just asked me to marry him after the bacon finishes frying,” Sarah joked. Sam pretended to gag. 

“Samuel, that is no way to treat your sister who is currently housing us,” Bucky chided. “I, unlike you, am an amazing house guest.”

“What you are is an amazing pain in my ass.”

“I’ll show you a pain in the ass,” Bucky muttered under his breath, causing Sarah to bark out a laugh. 

“God, you two are revolting.”

“Sam, would you shut the hell up?” Bucky asked, handing Sam his breakfast. “I’m not flirting with your sister.”

“Could’ve fooled me.”

“Well, it’s not my fault you have a bird brain.”

“Boys, stop fighting. The children are coming,” Sarah told them. Bucky sat down next to Sam and started eating his breakfast. Sarah hugged AJ and Cass. “How are my babies this morning?”

“Good,” the boys said in chorus.

“And how is Miss Karli?” Sarah asked. Bucky and Sam exchanged a were we supposed to ask her that look.

“I would be better if Sam didn’t decide to wake me up all obnoxiously,” Karli grumbled, causing Bucky to laugh and nearly choke on his eggs. Sam hit his back in a way that was more painful than helpful.

“You say all of this now, but you and I are going to have an awesome day together.”

“Wait, Bucky isn’t coming?” Karli asked, looking at Bucky but talking to Sam. Bucky swallowed his bite.

“I’m going to pick up the floorboards, and then I have to help Sarah with some things at the restaurant,” Bucky explained. “That’s typically how it’s going to go from day to day. One of us will be at the restaurant, and one of us will be with you at the house. Some days you’ll have off and you can work at the restaurant. Other days it’ll be all three of us at the house.”

“And today is my day with Sam?” Karli asked. Bucky searched her face.

“If you want me and Sam to switch we can,” Bucky offered. He looked over at Sam and then back to Karli. “If you’re more comfortable with working with me, then that’s what we’ll do.”

“No, no, it’s not that,” Karli replied, looking over at a hurt Sam. “I want to work with you, Sam. I’m just a little curious as to why you’re taking shifts with me.”

“Well, with all these extra hands here, I thought that somebody could put in a few hours at the restaurant,” Sarah explained. “The boys help out the best they can after school, but some extra adults might be nice to have around.”

“Oh, okay, well, I’ll help whenever I can, too,” Karli offered, finally starting to eat her breakfast. Sam and Bucky exchanged a proud look. 

“Alright, boys, you need to head to school,” Sarah stated once AJ and Cass were done with their food. 

“Looks like I’m off too,” Bucky said, hopping off his stool and putting his dish in the sink. “Now, Karli, I know that he’s Captain America and everything, but Sam is still just a mere human. He’s not as strong as us super soldiers. Don’t go too hard on him.”

“Man, shut the hell up,” Sam groaned. “I really hate you.”

“Love you too, Cap. Have a great day at the house.”

“Don’t flirt with my sister when you get to the restaurant.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Bucky responded, smirking. “I only flirt with her when you’re around.”

…

Sam hoped that Bucky’s day with Karli was as awkward as his because if not, he would be incredibly embarrassed. They had been putting up drywall together in silence for hours. Sam was sure that he was supposed to be the one to start up a conversation, but he had no idea what to say.

“So…” Sam started.

“Why did you take an interest in me?” Karli blurted out. She kept busy working on the wall and not looking at Sam. “I get Bucky wanting to help me because of the serum, but I’m having trouble wrapping my mind around why you would want to help me.”

“I...um...I used to be a counselor for soldiers who got back from the war,” Sam explained. “In a twisted way, that’s kind of how I met Bucky. Anyway, I helped people learn to live their lives after being in combat. It’s not easy. It’s never easy. Even with help it’s hard, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t help. I loved my job helping those people. I love helping people.

“And I know, I know. ‘God, this guy has to be kidding with this hero complex.’ But it’s not like that,” Sam defended himself. “When I came back from Afghanistan, I was broken. I never thought that I would be able to get back to the person I was before the war. But, I went to counseling and I learned that it’s okay if I’m never that man again. I just need to keep moving forward and hopefully become a better man. I never would’ve realized that without my counselors, so I knew that I needed to help more people like me.”

“So, Bucky wasn’t joking about that super soldier rehabilitation?” Karli joked. Sam chuckled softly. 

“They weren’t all super soldiers. Actually, there’s only been three super soldiers, including you,” Sam informed her. 

“And Bucky is one,” Karli stated. “And the first Captain America was the other one.”

“Correct.”

“So how long after you started helping Bucky did you get a crush on him?” Karli asked, and Sam sputtered. 

“What?”

“Oh, come on, Sam. I thought we were supposed to be bonding here. Just admit it. I know that that’s why you’re so upset about the flirting. Just admit that you have a crush on Bucky.”

“I don’t have a crush on Bucky.”

“Yes you do.”

“Do not.”

“Do too.”

“Do not.”

“Do too.”

“Do not.”

“I thought you said Bucky was the immature one.”

“Exactly, how could I have a crush on someone so immature?” Sam asked. Karli just rolled her eyes.

“I’ll tell Bucky that you’re my new favorite later on if you just admit it,” Karli told him. Sam did like the sound of that.

“Fine, but you can never ever, ever tell Bucky,” Sam stated. Karli turned to look at him. “I may have a small crush on Bucky.”

“Hey, don’t lie. That’s cheating.”

“Fine, I have a very large crush on Bucky,” Sam amended. He felt his face heat up. “I feel like a teenager.”

“Well, you’re definitely not one, old man.”

“I thought being your favorite meant that you would be nicer to me.”

“You’re not actually my favorite. That’s just what I’m gonna tell Bucky.”

“I’ll be your favorite one day, Karls. I can promise you that,” Sam assured her. Karli stopped what she was doing when she heard the nickname. 

“What did you just call me?”

“Karls?” Sam replied, but it was more of a question. “I’m sorry if that made you uncomfortable. I’m just a big nickname guy.” 

“It didn’t make me uncomfortable,” Karli stated, going back to her work. “I liked it. Make sure to call me that to Bucky later. He’ll totally believe you’re my favorite then.”

...

As promised, Bucky picked up the floorboards and then went to the restaurant. He and Sarah had a very productive day there. He had a lot of fun with her, but he was very anxious to get home and see Sam and Karli, and Sarah could tell. 

“We’re all good here, Bucky,” Sarah told him once the last customer left. “Why don’t you go pick up the boys from school and I’ll clean up?”

“You sure?” he asked.

“Positive,” she responded. Bucky grinned from ear to ear and kissed Sarah on the cheek before heading toward the door. “Hey, Buck?”

“Yes, Sarah?”

“Can you tell Sam you’re in love with him soon?”

“No, I think I’ll wait until he says it first,” Bucky replied. “Which will be never, so I will just pine for the rest of my ridiculously long life.”

“The both of you will be the death of me.”

“Hey, he’s your brother,” Bucky told her. “Not my fault I fell in love with him.”

“Well, it’s not mine either!” Sarah shouted back, but Bucky was already out the door and on the way to the school. 

“Cass! AJ!” Bucky called from the edge of the school yard. He waved at them and they came bounding over to him. “Hey, boys. Your mom sent me to pick you up.”

“Awesome,” Cass exclaimed. 

“Can I get a piggy back ride?” AJ asked. Bucky smiled at him.

“I don't see why not,” Bucky replied, bending down so AJ could hop up. 

“Can you race me with AJ on your back?” Cass asked.

“I can race you, but I’m not sure if I can beat you,” Bucky told him with a soft smile. “Your Uncle Sam told me that you’ve been running with him everyday. You might be faster than me now.”

“Don’t go easy on him, Bucky,” AJ said from where he was positioned. “I want to go fast.”

“I’ll see what I can do, bud,” Bucky assured him before getting into a racing position. “Okay whoever gets to the house second has to help Uncle Sam with dinner. On your mark. Get set. Go!”

Bucky gave Cass a very decent head start before going as fast as he could to catch up so that AJ could “go fast.” Once Bucky was behind Cass, he maintained a small distance so he wouldn’t be able to get ahead of the kid. Cass got to the house first and cheered. 

“I can’t believe you beat me,” Bucky said, pretending to pant. He let AJ down from his back. “Rematch tomorrow, okay?” 

“Deal,” Cass agreed, walking into the house to see Karli and Sam in the kitchen. Karli was sitting at the counter, and Sam was starting dinner. “Hey, Uncle Sam. Hi, Karli.”

“Hi,” Karli replied quietly. 

“Hey, kiddo. Where’s your mom?” Sam asked from the stove, not turning to look at him. Just then, AJ and Bucky walked in.

“Mom is still at the restaurant,” Cass explained. “Uncle Bucky brought us home. We raced, and I beat him so he has to help you with dinner.”

“Woah, woah, wait,” Sam said, whipping around and looking between Bucky and Cass. Bucky’s eyes were wide and his mouth was open. “What did you just say?”

“Uncle Bucky has to help you with dinner,” Cass repeated. 

“That’s what I thought you said,” Sam replied, looking at Bucky who was still dumbstruck. “When did you start calling Bucky your uncle?”

“He just seems like more than a friend is all,” Cass explained. “He’s a part of the family now, isn’t he? That’s what my mama said.”

“No, she’s right. Bucky is family,” Sam told him, looking straight into Bucky’s eyes. “You should probably ask Bucky before you call him that though.”

“Is it okay with you if I call you Uncle Bucky?” Cass asked. Bucky looked down at the little boy in front of him and his heart melted. 

“Yeah, uh, yeah of course,” Bucky croaked. He cleared his throat. “Of course, you boys can call me Uncle Bucky.”

“Cool.”

“Now, why don’t you stop bothering Uncle Bucky and go do your homework? Last I heard, Uncle Bucky was supposed to be helping me with dinner,” Sam told the two boys who ran off into their rooms to start their homework. Sam hummed under his breath. “Uncle Bucky.”

“Stop saying that.”

“Why? Are you gonna cry?” Sam asked. Bucky shoved him lightly and began to cut some vegetables. “You got all choked up, man. It was adorable.”

“It wasn’t adorable, and I didn’t get choked up.”

“It was and you did,” Karli said from her seat at the counter. They both turned around to look at her. 

“Do you wanna call me Uncle Bucky?”

“Nah,” Karli responded. “I might call you grandpa though.”

“Oh, nice one, Karls,” Sam exclaimed, walking across the kitchen to high five her. 

“First of all, rude,” Bucky pointed out, tossing a dish towel over his shoulder in a way that so did not make Sam want to kiss the living daylight out of him.  “Second, you let him give you a nickname and not me? I thought I was supposed to be your favorite.”

Sam and Karli shared a conspirital smile. “I guess I’m her favorite now,” Sam offered. He smirked at Karli one last time before headed back over to where Bucky was.

“Yeah, well I guess we’ll see about that,” Bucky told him. Sam nodded mockingly. “I hate you.”

“Love you too, Buck.”

“What are you guys making?” Karli asked, pulling Sam and Bucky out of whatever little thing they were in.

“We are making Sam’s famous shrimp fajitas.”

“I didn’t know they were famous,” Sam stated. Bucky gave him a lopsided grin.

“Well, they are,” Bucky replied. He stabbed a shrimp with a fork and brought it over to Karli. “Here try.” Karli took the fork from Bucky’s hand and ate the shrimp. Her eyes went wide. “See. I told you it was out of this world.”

“Flattery will get you nowhere, Barnes,” Sam lied, feeling his heart flutter at all the domesticity that was that day.

“No, Sam, Bucky is right. This is amazing. I could eat it every day for the rest of my life,” Karli insisted. Sam laughed. “I’m not joking.”

“Well, how about we have them on the night we move into the house then?” Sam suggested. “I can even show you how to make them. It’ll be fun.”

“Alright, sounds good,” Karli answered, and the three of them all smiled.

Sam didn’t know if it was the boys calling Bucky “Uncle Bucky,” the inside jokes with Karli, Bucky’s compliments, the plans for the future, or maybe a mix of all three, but all he knew was that his heart felt light and he had never been that happy in his life. Little did he know, Bucky felt the same way.

...

Hours later, after the softness had ended for the night, and the darkness took over once again, Sam woke up in a cold sweat. It felt like he had awoken from a nightmare, but he couldn’t remember having one. Then, it hit him. Bucky was thrashing and making noise in his sleep. Bucky was having a nightmare. 

“Buck,” Sam said, getting off of his couch and kneeling next to Bucky’s. “Bucky. Hey. Bucky, wake up. You’re having a nightmare. It’s just a dream, Bucky. Wake up.”

“Sam?” Bucky asked, eyes closed.

“I’m right here,” Sam replied, letting out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “You were having a nightmare.”

“That’s not surprising,” Bucky whispered, opening his eyes. “I’m sorry I woke you up. Go back to sleep.”

“No, it’s okay. I’m up now,” Sam assured him. “I’ll go get you some water.”

Bucky sat up and waited for Sam to come back. He was still trying to catch his breath and process the fact that his latest nightmare wasn’t real. He was okay. He was safe. He was with Sam. Speaking of Sam.

“Here’s your water,” Sam said softly, handing Bucky the glass. “What can I do for you? What do you need?” 

“I’m okay, Sam, seriously. I normally get through this stuff alone. You don’t need to do anything.”

“I know that you normally do things on your own, and you’re perfectly capable of doing that. But, I’m here, and I want to help you. If you don’t want me, that’s fine, but I’m offering.”

“I want you,” Bucky whispered, and Sam’s heart jumped to his throat. “I want your help.”

“Okay, what can I do?” Sam whispered. Bucky grabbed Sam’s hand and pulled him onto the couch beside him. 

“Hold me?” Bucky asked. “Just for a little while?”

“For however long you need, Buck,” Sam said into Bucky’s hair before placing the lightest of kissing on the crown of Bucky’s head. “I’m for for as long as you need me.”

...

Bucky woke up hours later, and he felt extremely cold. It didn’t take him long to realize that was because Sam wasn’t holding him anymore. He didn’t remember when he fell back to sleep, but he remembered that it was in Sam’s arms. Sam who was now in the kitchen packing Cass and AJ’s lunches. 

“Morning, sleeping beauty,” Sam called from the kitchen. “Good night sleep?”

“No, it was actually pretty bad,” Bucky replied, walking toward the kitchen. “Felt like I was sleeping on a rock.”

“You don’t mind my muscles when you’re looking at ‘em.”

“No, I do not,” Bucky replied, smirking at Sam before taking the mug out of Sam’s hands and drinking his coffee. “Why is your coffee so gross?”

“Why are you so gross?” Sam asked, taking his mug back.

“You sure as hell didn’t think I was gross last night--”

“James Barnes!” Sarah gasped. “Keep that dirty mouth of yours shut. The kids will be in here any minute.”

“God, Sarah, nothing happened. He just had a nightmare. That’s it,” Sam said, pulling away from Bucky and plating some eggs. “We both know that the Wilson he wants to get with is you anyway.”

“Sam,” Bucky and Sarah said at the same time. Sarah said it with disappointment, but there was something behind Bucky’s response that Sam couldn’t place. 

“No, seriously, it’s cool. If you guys want to be together, it’s okay,” Sam lied but attempted to make it sound sincere. Just then Karli walked into the kitchen, and Sam did everything in his power to avoid her gaze.

“Are you joking, Sam?” Bucky asked, and Sam still couldn’t place his emotion. Maybe it would be easier if Sam would look at him, but he just couldn’t.

“Not joking at all. I’m being completely sincere, Buckaroo. If you want to date my sister, then you have my blessing.”

“Okay, I’m leaving,” Bucky announced. “Karli, come over to the house whenever you’re ready. I’m going to go work on the house that I’m going to live in with Sam in case he forgot which Wilson is going to be living there.”

With that, Bucky was gone and Karli and Sarah were both gaping at Sam. He was staring at the floor guiltily. What the fuck just happened?

“You’re an idiot,” Karli muttered under her breath. She took a plate and began eating.

“You can’t call me an idiot and then eat the food I make,” Sam told her.

“Look, I’m just trying to get over there as fast as possible. I don’t need him being mad at me too.”

“He’s not mad at anyone.”

“Could’ve fooled me,” Karli responded, putting down the empty plate. Sam gawked at how fast she ate. “Super soldier metabolism. I’ll see you later, Sam. Maybe I can calm him down before you see him again.”

“She’s right, you know,” Sarah said, after Karli had left the house. “You are an idiot.”

...

Karli did not calm Bucky down. In fact, they didn’t speak all day. They just put down the floors in absolute silence. Karli didn’t want to push him to do anything, so she just let him stay silent. It was a little excruciating to be in silence for that long, but she was fine.

They went back to Sarah’s and had a silent dinner. Even Cass and AJ got the hint to keep quiet. Everyone scurried off to bed as fast as possible. Karli was about to go to sleep when she heard a knock at her door.

“Karli? Can I come in?” Bucky asked from the other side of the door. Karli sat up and turned her lamp on.

“Yeah, of course,” she responded. Bucky walked into the room and shut the door. He paced for a second before he decided to sit at the foot of Karli’s bed.

“Look, I’m sorry about today. I just...it’s complicated,” Bucky told her. “That’s no excuse though. It was our bonding day, and I should’ve actually bonded with you instead of brooding all day. Maybe I’m not cut out for this whole thing.”

“Bucky, I’m not looking for parents,” Karli told him. “I’m not really looking for anything, but a family would be a nice thing to have. You don’t have to parent me. And, even if you were my parent, which you’re not, you don’t have to be perfect every day. The world doesn’t revolve around me, and it’s perfectly fine if you take a day for yourself.”

“Hey, I might not be parenting you, but you don’t need to parent me,” Bucky joked, face cracking into a smile. “Is there anything you wanted to talk about though? Anything on your mind?”

“I’m gay,” Karli blurted out, and Bucky’s eyes went wide. “Sorry to just say it like that, but I thought you should know.”

“You don’t have to be sorry,” Bucky assured her. “How long have you been out? Are you out? Am I the first person you’re telling?”

“Woah, calm down Mr. Interrogator. Um, I’ve been out for a couple years. I tend to keep my feelings inside most of the time, but this just isn’t something I feel like I need to hide.”

“If I was a good non-parent, I would tell you that bottling your feelings up isn’t good, but that would be hypocritical,” Bucky told her. “But, you’re right about the other thing. You don’t have to hide that.”

“Anything you would like to share?” Karli asked, trying to get Bucky to look her in the eye. He did reluctantly. He began fiddling with his dog tags.

“1934,” Bucky said. “In 1934, I was seventeen years old. That was the year that I kissed my best friend. My male best friend. Back then, you were arrested or killed or worse if you were found out. We were both so scared, but we had each other, you know?

“For a long time, I thought that he was all I needed. I thought that it would just be me and him until the end of the line. But, things didn’t work out, and that’s alright,” Bucky continued. “When we went to the war together, we gave each other one of our dog tags. So I had one of his and he had one of mine. It was so that we could always keep a part of each other close to our hearts, I guess.

“I still wear his every day, and I don’t plan on taking it off. Even though it didn’t end the way I wanted it to, I want to keep that piece of him with me. If I had kissed anyone else in 1934, they might have killed me. But, I kissed him and instead, I was given some of the best years of my life,” Bucky said, letting out an odd life. “Because I kissed him, in a weird way, it led me here. It led me to Sam. It led me to you.

“Things are better than they were in 1934. I know that for a fact. But, I also know that they’re still not easy. But, I guess, um love is never easy, right?” Bucky questioned. “I guess this is my very long winded way of saying that I’m bisexual, which was not a term that was around in 1934. I’ve gone through a lot since thrn, and I’ve gotten my heart broken from a million different angles. So, if you ever need anything, any guidance on this department, you can come to me. I might not be able to help as well as Sam would be able to, but I can definitely try my hardest.”

“That was…Bucky,” Karli breathed out. There was a tear running down her cheek, and Bucky almost moved to wipe it away, but he refrained. “Can I hug you?”

“Of course, kiddo,” Bucky said softly, and Karli fell into his arms. “I’ve got you, kid.”

“Thank you, Bucky. For everything. For telling me all of that. Just...yeah...just thank you.”

“Anytime,” Bucky whispered, and Karli pulled away. “You don’t need to tell Sam about everything I said.”

“I won’t, but I know that you’re in love with him. He’s the part that’s complicated.”

“Again, you are not the non-parent here,” Bucky told her, but he was smiling. “Are you gonna tell him about you?”

“Eventually,” Karli replied. “I wanted to tell you first because I just feel like we have a lot in common, me and you.”

“Two peas in a pod, Karls,” Bucky stated. “I am allowed to call you that, right?”

“You can, but you can also come up with another nickname. Mix it up a little.”

“How about this: you call me a nickname only you can use and I call you a nickname only I can use?” Bucky suggested. “And then Sam can call you Karls, and you can call him something else. But not Samuel or Sammy because those are mine.”

“You’re very territorial.”

“It’s the assassin in me,” Bucky told her, and she cackled. “I have the perfect nickname: Pea. Get it? Because two peas in a pod?”

“I know that we just had the non-parent conversation, but you have the sense of humor of a dad of six,” Karli told him, and Bucky pretended to be offended. “I’m gonna call you Pookie.” 

“Pookie?”

“Well, I used to have this bear that I called Pookie Bear, and I know that there are these things called Bucky Bears. So, yeah, you’re Pookie.”

“Okay,” Bucky said with a smile. “If I’m Pookie, what does that make Sam?”

“Cooke,” Karli stated simply.

“You’re gonna nickname Sam after the King of Soul and I get Pookie?” Bucky gawked.

“First of all, how do you know who the King of Soul is, and second, you just exude Pookie energy.”

“Exude Pookie energy,” Bucky said, shaking his head. “You’re lucky you’re too old to ground.”

“Whatever you say, Pookie.”

“Go to sleep, young lady. You have a big day with Cooke tomorrow,” Bucky told her. Then he smiled at her. “Hey, pea?”

“Yeah?”

“I care about you a lot, okay? Thanks for talking to me tonight. I’m very proud of you.”

“I’m proud of you too,” Karli replied with a grin. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” Bucky said, smiling at her one last time before closing the door, taking a breath, and heading down the hall. He walked into the living room to see Sam sitting up on Bucky’s couch. “I figured you would be asleep.”

“You know that I wouldn’t go to sleep if we were fighting,” Sam told him.

“Do I know that?” Bucky asked.

“I’d sure hope so,” Sam responded. He patted the couch next to him. “C’mere.”

“That’s my bed, Samuel.”

“I know,” Sam stated. “But, um, you slept real soundly when I held you last night. I know we’re fighting or whatever, but I meant what I said last night. I’m here for as long as you need me.”

“And if I don’t need you anymore?”

“Then I’m gone,” Sam told him, “but I hope that’s not the case.”

“It’s not,” Bucky said softly and walked toward the couch. Sam learned against the arm rest and made room for Bucky to sit in between his legs. 

“How’s Karli?”

“She’s good. We had a very deep bonding moment. I think it’s safe to say that I’m her real favorite,” Bucky informed, and Sam laughed into Bucky’s shoulder. “Also, she decided to nickname you after Sam Cooke, which I know will boost your ego way too much.”

“Aww, she really is my daughter after all,” Sam joked, and Bucky laughed harder than he should’ve. “What’s so funny?”

“It’s nothing. It’s just that…well she really is a combination of the two of us. I’m not even sure how that’s possible.”

“Fate, I guess,” Sam whispered, and Bucky hummed. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back on Sam’s shoulder.

“I have zero romantic or sexual feelings for your sister,” Bucky whispered back.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Good,” Sam said into Bucky’s neck. “I’m glad to hear it.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Goodnight, Sam,” Bucky whispered into Sam’s shoulder. Sam smiled.

“Goodnight, Buck,” Sam whispered back, planting a small kiss on Bucky’s temple. 

...

The next day, Sarah had to go out of town for a meeting about the restaurant. Sam was in charge of the restaurant, and Bucky was in charge of getting the boys to and from school as well as checking in at the docks. They decided that Karli’s day would be best spent with Sam, that way he could train her if she ever needed to work at the restaurant. 

Sam got to the restaurant earlier than Karli so he could set up and open. He told her to get there no later than the lunch rush. Once Karli got there, Sam taught her everything that he knew. It reminded him of when he went to the restaurant with his dad for the first time. It was every bit as fun. 

“Alright, kiddo,” Sam said, clapping his hands together. “I’m gonna take care of the kitchen and you’re gonna take care of the register and waiting on people. Got it?”

“Got it,” Karli responded, grinning from ear to ear. He could tell that she was enjoying it as much as he was. 

Sam and Karli were a good team. They worked as a unit. They anticipated each other’s next moves. It was fun. They were having fun. Sam swore that he hadn’t seen her that happy in all the time he knew her.

“Five shrimp baskets, all day,” Karli yelled to the kitchen. Sam chuckled fondly.

“Where did you learn restaurant slang?” he questioned. 

“I’m a quick learner,” she supplied. 

Hours and hours later, after what Sam considered to be the most productive shift he ever put in, it was time to close. Karli was cleaning off tables, and once Sam was done cleaning the kitchen, he went out to help her.

“Have a good day?” Sam asked, wiping down a table.

“Yeah, it was good,” Karli murmured, flipping a chair over. She smiled to herself. “It was fun.”

“I used to love coming here when I was a kid,” Sam told her. “Before becoming Cap, before joining the military, it was my dream to run this restaurant.”

“What happened?”

“A lot,” Sam stated. “It wasn’t in the cards.” Sam let out a breath and continued working. “This business was everything to my family, and my family was everything to me. They’re still everything to me.”

“Sarah and the boys are really lucky to have you,” Karli said softly, moving to the next table. 

“Mind if I get serious for a second, kiddo?”

“I’d imagine that you’re going to no matter what I say.”

“You would be correct,” Sam joked. He smiled at her, but she wasn’t looking at him. “Look, I know that we’re not your parents. We’re not adopting you. You don’t need to call us your dads. None of that shit. I get it. You’re not a kid. You don’t need anybody to parent you.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re nineteen years old and a legal adult or whatever the hell; you still need a family. Everyone deserves to have a family,” Sam told her. “We...like I said. We’re not your dads. That’s not what we’re looking to be. But, if you let us, we’ll be your family. You deserve to have a family, Karls, and we want to give that to you.”

“I’m not...I know that you’re not trying to be my parents,” Karli stated simply. She finished her last table, but she was still fiddling with her rag. “I appreciate what you’re doing for me, and I want you to be my family. I would really like that.”

“Yeah?” Sam asked, smiled forming.

“Yeah,” Karli replied. She looked at him with a smile. “Just one question though?”

“Anything. Shoot.”

“Is the ability to say a motivational speech off the top of your head a requirement for being Captain America?” Karli joked cheekily, and Sam rolled his eyes.

“You spend too much time around Bucky.”

“Hey, you’re the ones who plan my days out for me.”

“You’re something else, kid.”

“I’ve been told that a time or two,” Karli informed him. “So, are we all done here?”

“Yes,” Sam replied, heading into the kitchen to get some takeout boxes. “You bring this to Sarah’s and tell Bucky to meet me at the house. We have a few things to finish up tonight. So, you make sure the boys have a good dinner and Sarah should be home before they have to go to sleep.”

“Aye, aye, Captain,” she said, giving him a fake solute. She was about to leave the restaurant when she heard Sam clear his throat.

“Good work today, kid. I’m proud of you.”

“Thanks, Cooke.”

...

Bucky’s day wasn’t as fun as Sam and Karli’s, but it was relaxing which was a nice change of pace. He liked the domesticity of taking the boys to school. He also loved the familiarity of working on the docks. It was nice. He had a nice time. 

“Pookie, I’m home,” Karli called, closing the door behind her. Bucky let out a sigh of relief. That meant that Sam was home too. “I brought dinner for me and the boys, but you’re supposed to go over to the house. I think Sam brought food for you.”

“Are you gonna make a joke about it being a date?” Bucky questioned.

“I wasn’t going to until you said that,” Karli told him, and he rolled his eyes. “Boys, dinner!”

“I’ll see you later, pea,” Bucky said, giving her a wave before he left Sarah’s and walked across the yard to the house. “Sam? I thought we weren’t working on the house today.”

“We’re not,” Sam answered. Bucky found him sitting in the middle of the floor in what was going to be their kitchen. “This place is almost done. Appliances and countertops tomorrow. Painting the next day. A few days of decoration and moving in personal items. We’ll be in here in a week tops.”

“So, why are we sitting in a bare kitchen tonight?”

“I think that we deserve one night with no kids and no house renovation,” Sam explained. “Just two grown men sitting on the floor of the house they’re moving into. Also, I brought us some gumbo, which Karli asked me to put on the menu for move-in night.”

“Sounds like we’re making a lot on move-in night,” Bucky replied, sitting down on the floor next to Sam. Sam handed him a container and a plastic spoon. “Thank you. I agree. We deserve a night off.”

“Hey, uh, do you remember the first time we met?” Sam asked. Bucky furrowed his eyebrows.

“I don’t particularly like thinking about almost killing you, Sam,” Bucky responded. Sam shook his head.

“No, no, not that time,” Sam stated. “I’m talking about the first time I met you. Not the Winter Soldier. Just good ol’ JBB.”

“Oh, that time.”

“Yes, that time,” Sam mocked. He smirked when Bucky rolled his eyes. 

“You didn’t like me very much.”

“That’s not true at all, man,” Sam stated. Bucky raised his eyebrows at Sam. Sam just ate his gumbo and shrugged. “Look, I didn’t not like you. I just didn’t know if I can trust you yet.”

“And when did you know you could trust me?” Bucky asked, genuinely wanting to know.

“When you decided to go back into cyro,” Sam said sincerely. Bucky took a bite and didn’t look at Sam. “I realized then that you were a good person. Ever since then, I’ve only looked at you as Bucky.”

“Thank you, Sam,” Bucky whispered, and Sam just nodded. Bucky cleared his throat. “I bet you never pictured this future for us though.”

“You mean moving in together and fostering a teenage super soldier,” Sam joked. “Nah, I wouldn’t have pictured that. Doesn’t mean I’m not happy to have this future though.”

“I’m happy too,” Bucky replied, and Sam had never smiled that big in his entire life. “Eat up. It’s going to get cold.”

Across the yard, Sarah had just pulled into the driveway. She noticed that the light was on in the other house, and she raised an eyebrow. She walked into the house and saw Karli, Cass, and AJ eating dinner at the counter.

“Oh, hi, Sarah,” Karli greeted. Sarah smiled at the young girl. “Sam and Bucky are over at the house finishing something up, but Sam gave me food from the restaurant for dinner. There’s a container for you too.”

“Thank you, Karli,” Sarah replied, sitting down next to Karli. She lowered her volume so only Karli could hear. “What do you think they’re up to over there?”

“I have no idea, but I’m willing to bet it has nothing to do with house renovation,” Karli whispered, causing Sarah to bark out a laugh.

...

It was appliance and countertop day, and nobody was happy about that. It was all heavy lifting and boring things like that. It was Sam’s turn to help at the restaurant while Bucky and Karli worked, and they were both incredibly jealous of him. 

There was a lot of teamwork involved in that day’s work. They had to lift and place everything together. It was the most time they had spent together since Karli had moved in. It wasn’t awkward; it was actually pretty nice. 

“Hey, can I put on some music?” Karli asked before they moved the fridge.

“Yeah, sure,” Bucky responded. “Just don’t put on anything crappy.”

“I’m not going to put on 40s music, Pookie,” she told him, and he rolled his eyes. “I think you’ll like this album though.”

Karli shuffled the album, placed her phone on the newly installed countertop, and moved to help Bucky with the fridge. It was barely a few seconds into the song before Bucky made a comment. 

“Wait, I know this song,” he muttered. “Well, I know the lyrics at least. It sounds like a song Sam showed me a few weeks ago, but the music is different.”

“Good ear, old man.”

“Shut up. So what is it?” Bucky asked, securing the fridge into place. 

“It’s a punk version of Crazy Train,” Karli explained. “It’s from this album called ‘Punk Goes Classic Rock.’”

“Punk goes classic rock, huh?” Bucky murmured. “I don’t know what punk is, but I like it.”

“I figured you would,” Karli said, sounding proud of herself. She blushed a little. “Um, I have a punk playlist on my phone if you want me to send it to you.”

“I would love that, kiddo,” Bucky told her. They shared a smile. “Now, turn that shit up; we have more work to do.”

...

Late afternoon, Bucky and Karli heard the front door open, and Sarah walked into the almost finished kitchen. 

“Hello, worker bees,” she greeted.

“Does that make you the queen?” Bucky asked, smiling. She rolled her eyes fondly.

“You already know I’m the queen, Buck,” Sarah told him. She turned her attention toward Karli. “I’m here to take Karli shopping.”

“Shopping? For what?”

“Stuff for your room,” Sarah explained. “Paint, furniture, decorations. The whole nine-yards. And, hey, maybe we’ll even get you some new clothes.”

“Really?” 

“Of course,” Sarah told her. It broke Sarah’s heart that Karli didn’t believe when good things were given to her. “I left Sam at the restaurant with the boys. They’ll be home later on.”

“You good with going shopping?” Bucky asked Karli. “Me and Sam are gonna go out early and pick some things up for our rooms tomorrow if you want to wait.”

“No offense, but I think that Sarah would be a little more helpful with designing a room for a teenage girl.”

“You wound me.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll see you later, Pookie,” Karli said, waving to Bucky as she followed Sarah out the door.

“Bye, Pea,” Bucky called, grinning from ear to ear even though she couldn’t see him.

...

The car ride to the mall was quiet, but it wasn’t awkward. There was no tension between Karli and Sarah. The problem was that they didn’t quite know what to say to each other. Karli wasn’t nervous exactly, but she was definitely a little fidgety. 

“Okay, so I was thinking that we would start with furniture, and then we can move on to other little decorations and then maybe clothes,” Sarah explained, leading Karli to the furniture store. Karli nodded but didn’t say anything. “Do you have any idea what you’re looking for?”

“No,” Karli whispered. Sarah offered her a kind smile. “I never really had a room of my own before.”

“Okay, well I can help you,” Sarah told her. “I would ask what type of style you’re looking for, but I’m sure you don’t know. Alright, how about this? When you picture comfort, what do you picture?”

“Huh, let me think,” Karli replied. She closed her eyes for a moment. “Um, the color brown? And...maybe like lantern thingies? Oh, and I like the idea of being in like a nest or something.”

“I can definitely work with that,” Sarah told her, leading her toward the beds. She pulled out her phone to look at the measurements for Karli’s room. “So, this would actually fit perfectly.”

They were standing in front of a light brown daybed. It could fit perfectly against Karli’s window. All of a sudden, Karli was hit with a vision of her room. There was that bed and a desk and bookshelves and vinyl records and lantern lights. She felt a tear start to fall down her cheek, and she quickly wiped it away.

“Did I say something wrong?” Sarah asked, looking worried. Karli quickly shook her head.

“No, it’s perfect. I love it,” Karli assured her. “It’s just that I think I know what I want now. I know exactly what I want.”

“That’s what I like to hear,” Sarah exclaimed. “Now, let’s get to work.”

...

After that, furniture shopping was easy. They picked out the bed, some dressers, a desk, and paint. Karli decided that she just wanted beige paint because she wanted to put things up. They bought some floating book shelves. They also bought things to put records up. Sarah told Karli that Sam would be thrilled to know that Karli was interested in records because he had a lot of old ones lying around as well as an old record player.

Next was clothes. That was a little difficult considering neither one of them really knew what the average nineteen year old girl wore. 

“Hey, what about these?” Karli asked, pointing at a stack of old looking flannels. 

“If you like them, then I think they’re perfect,” Sarah told her. There were some faded jeans next to them. “What about these with them?”

“Oh, those are perfect,” Karli said happily. Sarah grinned.

After they left the first store, they passed a second hand shop, and Karli stopped walking immediately. Sarah motioned for her to go in. She walked over to the section of band tees. She noticed that they were a dollar each and picked up a few. Next, she found vintage converse that she absolutely adored.

“Oh my God,” Karli whispered under her breath. Sarah followed Karli’s eyes to find a leather jacket. It looked worn and beaten up but still beautiful. It was perfect for Karli. She looked at the price tag and shook her head. 

“What is it?” Sarah asked her.

“It’s too much money,” Karli told her. “It’s really alright. I don’t need it, and I don’t want you to do that for me.”

“Karli--”

“No, really, Sarah. You’ve already done too much for me. I can’t ask you to do this too,” Karli assured her. “I cannot thank you enough for everything you’ve done for me. Not just today, either. Just everything.”

“I was happy to do it. I am happy to do it,” Sarah replied. “But--”

“But nothing,” Karli interrupted. “It’s too much. Let’s just pay for this stuff and then get out of here. It’s been a long day.”

“If you’re sure,” Sarah said. She smiled softly. “Let’s go show Sam and Bucky everything you got.”

...

Sam and Bucky were at Sarah’s house making dinner when Sarah and Karli got home. They were standing way closer together than they needed to and being ridiculously cute. Karli pretended to throw up, which caused Sarah to laugh. Sam and Bucky heard them and immediately jumped away from each other. 

“How was your day?” Sam asked, plating the food. Karli went into the kitchen and grabbed the plates and silverware to set the table.

“It was really good,” she responded. 

“Really?” Sam questioned, raising his eyebrows. Sarah hit him lightly. 

“I do have two kids, you know. I can handle a day of shopping,” she informed him. “Hey, you still have Daddy’s old record player, right?”

“Yeah, it’s in the attic.”

“Well, Karli told me that she’s interested in getting some vinyls,” Sarah stated. Sam looked at Karli with a lopsided grin.

“Seriously?”

“Yeah, I don’t know. I like old timey stuff like that,” she said with a shrug.

“I think that you’ve gotten me and Bucky mixed up there, bud,” Sam told her. “He’s the old timey one.”

“Hey, I wasn’t even involved in this conversation,” Bucky interjected. He grabbed some napkins and went to help Karli with setting the table.

“Was your day actually that good?” Sam whispered so only Sarah could hear. He smiled as he watched Bucky and Karli work together.

“It was seriously great,” Sarah assured him. “You’ve got a good kid.”

“Sarah,” Sam whispered, shaking his head lightly. “She’s not my kid.”

“She said she wanted to sleep in a nest,” Sarah stated, and Sam’s eyes went a little wide. “She’s your kid. And, she picked out this ratty leather jacket. She’s this weird little combination of the both of you.”

“Yeah, I guess she is,” Sam replied, watching Bucky pretend to hit Karli over the head with a plate just for her to roll her eyes. Bucky looked over at Sam with a grin.

“What are you looking at, old man?” he asked. Sam shook his head fondly and walked toward the dining room.

“Nothing pretty,” he replied, causing Bucky to hit him lightly and Karli to smirk knowingly at him. Sarah watched the little family with a huge smile on her face. 

...

It was incredibly early when Sam and Bucky went to the store the next morning. They had already ordered their beds and furniture online, so the only thing they really needed to pick up was paint. 

Sam knew that Bucky had been preparing his own room. He knew that he picked out a bed that he was sure Bucky would never actually sleep in. He knew that Bucky had bought a dresser that was way too big for the amount of belongings he had. He knew all of this, but it only hit him as he watched Bucky look at the paint samples in front of him.

“You’re going all in on this room, huh?” Sam questioned. Bucky looked at him quizzically. “It’s just that I know that you only had a couch at your old place.”

“I want to be normal,” Bucky told him, and a small part of Sam’s heart shattered for the man standing in front of him. “I can’t promise that I’m gonna sleep in that bed, and I can’t promise that I'm not going to camp out on the couch every night, but I want to at least try. And, if it doesn’t work out, then I’d like to at least keep up appearances.”

“I get it,” Sam assured him. “I think that you’re doing the right thing. The healthy thing. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”

“I’m just picking out paint, Sam. I’m fine,” Bucky replied. “Thank you though.”

“Hey, which one do you like for my room?” Sam asked, holding up two almost identical navy swatches.

“The lighter one,” Bucky answered. “Why are you asking me?”

“I have a king sized bed,” Sam stated simply. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you spent a lot of time in my room is all.”

“Shut up, man,” Bucky groaned, causing Sam to let out a laugh. “I like this grey for my room.”

“I like it too, Buck,” Sam said, trying to sound supportive. “I was thinking a light yellow for the kitchen and dining room. Maybe a nice brown for the living room.”

“That works for me,” Bucky stated, and suddenly they both felt the intimacy of painting a house together. “Come on, let’s go. The only thing worse than watching paint dry is picking out what paint you have to watch dry.”

“Yeah, let’s go get to work.”

...

Bucky and Sam went to Sarah’s to pick up Karli before starting their big day of painting. It was the first time that all three of them were going to be working on the house together. Not that that mattered much because they all split up to get the most amount of work done. They were all working on their own rooms, and then they were going to do the downstairs together. 

Sam was just finishing up his room when he heard loud music blasting from one of the other rooms. It sounded like something an angsty teenager would listen to, so Sam went to Karli’s room to investigate. When he got there, she was standing in her doorway staring at Bucky’s room.

“Is that him?” Sam asked, and Karli just smirked. Sam tried not to laugh as he pushed Bucky’s door open to see Bucky dancing around to his music. “This song didn’t come out pre-war.”

“I knew you were gonna make fun of me,” Bucky said, pausing his music. Sam shook his head defensively.

“I’m not making fun of you. I’m just in shock I think,” Sam joked. Bucky turned his back and began painting the last section of his wall. “Wait is this a cover of More Than a Feeling?”

“Yeah, it’s from this album I showed him a few days ago,” Karli informed. “It’s called Punk Goes Classic Rock.”

“Punk Goes Classic Rock?” Sam asked, and Bucky turned around to give him a knowing look. “Well, I like it. As soon as you’re done here, you can come downstairs and help us with the kitchen, and we’ll all listen to your little punk music.”

“Don’t knock it till you try it.”

Sam did in fact try it, and he was still knocking it. They had been painting the kitchen and dining room for twenty minutes, and Sam still was not into Karli’s punk playlist. 

“Wait, I think I know a song you’ll like,” Karli told him, taking Bucky’s phone and going on Spotify. Bucky smiled at how comfortable she was with them. Ocean Avenue began to blare from Bucky’s phone, and he smiled at Sam.

“What?” Sam asked, and he watched as Bucky slowly started to dance along with the music. Karli quickly joined in. “What on Earth is happening here?”

“Come on, Cooke. We all know you wanna join in,” Karli said, bouncing on her heels. Bucky moved closer to Sam and reached for his hand. 

“Yeah, Sammy, don’t you wanna have some fun? Let loose a little,” Bucky told him, and Sam just rolled his eyes before letting Bucky take his hand and spin him around. None of them were really dancing. It was more like they were just jumping and flailing, but it was fun. 

“This song isn’t bad,” Sam said loudly over the music, which caused both Bucky and Karli to smile.

“I like this one too.”

“I think it sounds like something that would be in a gay coming of age movie,” Karli told them, causing both men to look at her quizzically. “I mean, just listen to the lyrics. Like, really listen. This song wasn’t made for straight people.”

“But you--oh,” Sam said softly. Bucky was smirking at the floor. “Wait, did you know?”

“She might have mentioned something.”

“You told him and not me?” Sam asked, pretending to be angry, but Karli knew he was joking. “I see how it is.”

“I figured you knew already,” Karli lied, sharing a smile with Bucky. “I guess you’re not as observant as I thought.”

“I’ll show you observant,” Sam muttered, dipping his paintbrush in the bucket and slowly walking over to Karli.

“I don’t think there’s any need for that,” Karli said, putting her hands in front of her defensively. Sam very smoothly wiped a strip of paint on the back of Karli’s neck.

“Oh, Karls, I’ve observed that there’s something on your neck.”

“Funny,” Bucky told him. Sam dipped his brush back in the paint and flung a glob at Bucky. “That’s elder abuse.”

“Yeah?” Sam questioned. “And what are you gonna do about it, old man?”

“Let’s get him,” Bucky said, and then an all out paint war started. It lasted for several minutes, and only ended when they realized that there was still a small part of the kitchen that wasn’t done so they couldn’t waste all the paint.

“Why don’t you go over to Sarah’s and get washed up?” Sam offered to Karli. “Me and Bucky can finish up here.”

“Only if you’re sure,” Karli replied. 

“We’ve got it all under control, kiddo. Go take a shower. Maybe ask Sarah if there’s any ice cream left from the boys’ end of school party,” Bucky told her.

“There’s not,” Karli told him. “They finished it off last night.”

“Then, we’re adding make your own sundaes to the move-in night list,” Sam stated simply. “It’s been too long since I’ve had some good ass ice cream. I have to stay in shape to throw that shield around.”

“Sure you do, big guy,” Bucky said, and if Sam had any paint left he would’ve smeared it on Bucky’s face to get rid of that smirk.

“Hey, kid,” Sam called, getting Karli’s attention before she left. “I’m happy that you told me. Even if it was after you told his loser.”

“I’m happy I told both of you too,” Karli said. “Looks like we all have one more thing in common.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. None of us are straight. We’re a big gay happy family. I get it,” Sam joked. “Now, get out of here.”

“Aye, aye, Captain,” she said, running out of the house before he could say anything else.

“So,” Sam offered, as Bucky finished the last section of the kitchen before they moved into the living room. “A teenage gay super soldier.”

“Bet that’s not in any parenting books,” Bucky joked. 

“I think we’ll be able to handle it just fine,” Sam told him. “I mean, with both of us being queer and you being a super soldier with the emotional intelligence of a teenager, I’m sure we’ll do great.”

“You really can’t decide if I’m ancient or immature, can you?” Bucky asked, beginning to paint the living room wall. Sam followed suit.

“I was pretty set in my ways with you being the oldest living human, but then you decided to go and listen to punk music,” Sam informed him. “You wouldn’t even listen to Marvin Gaye, but you listened to that shit.”

“Hey, I listened to Marvin Gaye eventually,” Bucky defended. His voice softened. “I just thought that if I listened to her music that we’d have something to talk about, you know? Something else in common.”

“You really care about her, huh?” Sam asked. Bucky looked at him with a soft smile.

“We both do.”

...

Sam and Karli were in charge of setting up the furniture and decorations the next day. It was a Sunday, and the restaurant was closed. Realistically, Bucky could’ve helped, but Karli and Sam told him he kept getting in the way because he didn’t have the same artistic vision they did. So, Bucky stayed home with the boys and Sarah.

Cass and AJ wanted to play outside and Bucky happily obliged. Sarah prepared lunch and watched from the kitchen as Bucky got tackled by her sons. Bucky was smiling and laughing as the two boys ganged up on him. He was able to take more hits than Sam, so the boys were always happy when they got to play with him. However, Sarah thought she should stop them before they killed the old geezer.

“Boys, lunch!” Sarah called from the open window. Cass and AJ ran to the house, and Bucky followed closely behind. The boys took their sandwiches onto the porch and Bucky took a seat at the kitchen counter with Sarah. “You’re real good with kids, Bucky.”

“Well, the boys are great. You raised them well,” Bucky stated, but Sarah shook her head.

“It’s not just the boys,” she told him. “You’re great with Karli.”

“Oh, well, thank you,” Bucky said, blushing furiously. Sarah grinned.

“Sam always wanted kids, you know,” Sarah informed, heavily implying something that Bucky didn’t want to look into. “He always used to say that he wanted a whole Wilson army.”

“I’d like to have more kids one day,” Bucky said, only slightly dreamily. Then he cleared his throat. “Or, uh, yeah. Just kids. I’d like to have kids one day.”

Sarah hummed, taking a bite of her sandwich. Bucky began eating his lunch. Sarah looked over at him and smiled. He looked back at her with his sandwich in his mouth.

“What?” he asked around his food.

“Nothing,” Sarah replied defensively. “You’re just a cute family is all.”

...

The next day was officially move-in day. The morning was spent bringing all their personal belongings from Sarah’s over to the new house. Once that was done, Bucky and Sam went grocery shopping to stock up. While they were at the store, Karli stayed at Sarah’s to spend some time with the boys. They knew that she was only moving a few feet away, but they were going to miss seeing her everyday.

It was a big step, moving into the new house. It didn’t feel like a goodbye to Sarah and the boys because they were all still going to be seeing each other daily. It just felt like a hello to a new beginning that none of them were too certain about. It was a big step, and they were excited for sure. 

“Karls,” Sam called into the house when he and Bucky got back. “It’s time for move-in night.”

“Coming!” Karli called back. She looked at Cass and AJ who were sitting across from her on the floor where they were playing video games. “I’ll be back to beat both of you tomorrow, okay?”

“Alright, Karli,” AJ said bittersweetly.

“I’m gonna miss you,” Cass told her. Karli smiled sadly.

“I’ll be back to babysit you at least once a week. I promise. After all, you are my favorite cousins,” she told them, causing both boys to laugh. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Bye.”

“Bye,” the boys said in unison. She smiled before heading to the kitchen where Sarah, Sam, and Bucky were waiting for her. Sarah was holding a gift bag, and Karli looked at her quizzically.

“This is for you,” Sarah said, handing her the bag. 

“Sarah, you didn’t need to get me anything,” Karli told her, but she took the bag all the same. She opened it to find the leather jacket they saw at the store a few days before. She shook her head. “I can’t--”

“Yes, you can, and you will,” Sarah stated. “Thinking of it as a housewarming gift.”

“Thank you,” Karli whispered, quickly moving forward to capture Sarah in a hug. Sarah was taken aback at first, but she hugged the girl tightly. “Thank you so much, Aunt Sarah.”

“Oh, sweetheart,” Sarah said, placing a kiss on Karli’s hair. “Of course. Anytime.”

“Move over, kiddo. Stop hogging Aunt Sarah,” Sam joked, and Karli let go, allowing Sam to hug his sister. “Thank you for everything, Sar. We’ll cook for you and let you crash on the couch anytime you want to repay you.”

“Not necessary,” she told him. He pulled away and kissed her forehead. She turned to Bucky. “I didn’t forget you, Buckaroo.”

“We all know I’m your favorite, Sar Bear,” Bucky said, moving forward to hug her. “Thank you.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m a real saint. I get it,” Sarah mocked, letting go of Bucky. “Now, the three of you have a big night ahead of you. I think I heard something about gumbo and fajitas.”

“Yes and ice cream sundaes,” Karli said with a grin. It was so refreshing to see her act like a normal kid for once. 

“Well, I’ll see y’all tomorrow,” Sarah replied, practically pushing them out the door. The three headed over to their house, excited for their first night there.

...

Preparing dinner took a long time, but they did it together and had fun. Sam had already taught Bucky both recipes, so they worked together to teach Karli. It was fun. It was domestic. It felt like they were establishing their own traditions.

They all picked where they were going to sit at the dining room table that night. Those were going to be the seats that they had for all their meals for as long as they lived there, so they had to be good. The table had a leaf that could be added if they needed it, but for now, they only needed the small version with four chairs. Bucky sat at what would be the head with Sam and Karli on either side of him.

More traditions were established that night. It was decided that whoever did less cooking was in charge of setting the table and washing the dishes, and whoever did the second least amount of cooking had to dry the dishes. While the other two did that, the third would prepare desert or start looking for whatever movie they were going to watch that night. 

Once the dishes were done and the sundaes were made, the three retired to the living room. Karli sat on the reclining chair next to the couch, and Sam and Bucky took the couch. They assumed that that would be yet another tradition. 

They ate their sundaes and watched a movie that Sam suggested. He got to pick since he did the most cooking. It seemed only fair, at least it did in his eyes. Neither Bucky or Karli had the heart to argue with him. 

About halfway through the movie, Karli looked over at the men to see them in a position they were not in when they first sat down. Bucky was lying with his feet in Sam’s lap, and Sam was rubbing Bucky’s shin gently. Karli smiled at them before turning back to the movie. 

“Hey, wake up,” Karli whispered an hour later. “The movie is over. I’m going to sleep.”

“Hmm, okay,” Sam hummed. He opened his eyes and saw that Bucky was asleep next to him. “I’ll probably stay with him for a little while.”

“Okay, goodnight, Cooke,” Karli said with a yawn. Sam smiled at her. 

“Goodnight, Karls.”

...

Bucky remembered falling asleep feeling safe and warm. That was normally how he felt whenever he fell asleep with Sam, but that was the only time. He woke up and still felt the warmth and safety even though he felt that Sam wasn’t there anymore.

When he opened his eyes, Bucky looked into the kitchen and heard some noise. Karli and Sam were in there. He sat up and listened to them before he got up.

“Are you sure you want pancakes and not waffles?” Sam asked, and Karli groaned.

“Sam, I told you if you want waffles so bad, just make them. I’d rather eat a waffle than listen to you complain all morning,” Karli replied, and Bucky had to stop himself from laughing.

“I’m not complaining. I just think that waffles are the superior breakfast food,” Sam stated, and Bucky knew that he needed to settle this argument. 

“Samuel,” Bucky drawled, walking into the kitchen. “Pancakes are the best sweet breakfast food, hands down. And, put some chocolate chips in them if you don’t mind.”

“I didn’t know this was a continental breakfast,” Sam muttered under his breath. Bucky just took a seat at the counter and watched Sam and Karli cook. “Are you not gonna help?”

“I’m still sleepy,” Bucky replied innocently. Sam smiled internally, but he scowled on the outside. “Ugh, fine. What do you need?”

“Fry up some bacon will you, dear?” Sam asked, fake nicely. 

“Anything for you, darling,” Bucky joked right back, and it suddenly seemed too real too fast. His face heated up, and Karli had to stifle a laugh.

...

It was a few weeks later, and Sam and Karli were working at the restaurant together. Sarah took Cass and AJ to a water park for the day, so the restaurant was left to Sam, Bucky, and Karli. Bucky took the afternoon shift, and Karli took the evening. Just like always, Sam offered up conversation as they cleaned up once the last customer left.

“You like working here?” Sam asked. Karli shrugged.

“Yeah, it’s good,” she replied, and Sam hummed in agreement.

“You ever think about what you want to do with your life?” Sam asked. He knew that this probably wasn’t the conversation Karli expected to have.

“I can’t say I’ve put much thought into it, no,” Karli responded. “I always thought my future would be filled with more fighting. Didn’t you?”

“I am still fighting, kiddo,” Sam told her, laughing lightly. “I haven’t been going on as many missions recently, sure, but I’ve been having meetings and doing everything I can to work with the GRC. I’m probably going to start going on more missions after we’re a little more settled in here. I am Captain America, after all.”

“What about Bucky? Is he going to start going on missions again too?”

“I think that Bucky needs a little bit of a break,” Sam explained. Karli nodded. “He’s been fighting his whole life. He deserves to just rest for a while. Plus, if I’m on missions, then he’ll be able to stay here with Sarah and the kids and you of course. But, if I need him, he’ll fight with me. I know that.”

“So, he’s just going to be living a normal life here as a super soldier?” Karli asked, genuinely intrigued. 

“Bucky never asked to be a super soldier. He always wanted a normal life,” Sam stated. He knew all these things without being told them. Bucky never needed to tell him; Sam already knew exactly how he felt.

“I get that,” Karli replied. Sam nodded.

“Is that something you would be interested in? Living a so-called normal life?”

“I don’t know. What would I even do?”

“Maybe you could be a lawyer,” Sam suggested, and Karli gawked at him. “What? You’re always fighting for the underdogs. Plus, you can get a lot more done working on the inside instead of punching your way through.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. I just never thought about it. I was never really in the position to go to college before,” Karli told him. She had finished cleaning up everything she needed to.

“There’s a local college. You could still live with us and go there,” Sam stated. “I’m sure you’d be able to get a scholarship, not that we couldn’t afford it. We’re not rich, but we’re better off than we were a few months ago. We’re definitely comfortable enough to pay for discounted tuition. Money isn’t a problem anymore, okay?”

“Okay, thanks, Sam,” Karli said, with a small smile. He could tell that this was a lot for her.

“Hey, you don’t need to do anything you don’t want to. I’m just talking. That’s it,” Sam explained. He smiled at her. “I’m going to support you no matter what kind of future you have. I’m always going to be here for you.”

...

It wasn’t uncommon for Bucky and Sam to fall asleep together on the couch. In fact, they had been living there for almost a month, and Bucky had yet to sleep in his bed. Sometimes, Sam would sleep in his own room, but Bucky always stayed on the couch. 

One night, he was sleeping when he heard something from Karli’s room. It sounded like she was yelling. He immediately got off the couch without waking Sam and went to Karli’s room.

“Karli?” he asked, knocking on the door. She didn’t answer, so he opened the door and walked in. He saw that she was having a nightmare. He rushed over to her bed. “Hey. Hey, Karli, wake up. It’s just a dream, bud.”

“Bucky?” Karli asked, sitting up abruptly. “Oh, God. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you up.”

“Do you have nightmares regularly?” Bucky asked, and Karli avoided his gaze. “Hey, I get it. I don’t like talking about mine either, but you should know that you can talk to me about anything, okay? I’m here for you.”

“Thank you,” Karli whispered. “I just didn’t want to bother you.”

“I get it, trust me, but you could never bother me,” Bucky assured her. “We’re the same you and me, pea. I get how scary nightmares are, and I know that it’s hard to let people in. But, me and Sam are here to help you. Sam is actually the one who helps me with my nightmares, so he would actually be more helpful if you want me to get him.”

“You’re doing just fine, Pookie,” Karli told him. He smiled gently at her. “Bucky, if it was up to you, and you could never get the serum and just live a normal life, would you?”

“Well, that’s a complicated question,” Bucky responded. “I’m very grateful for the life I have now. I’m grateful for you and the Wilsons and everything. The Wilsons are my shot at a normal life. I didn’t have a family or anything like that anymore, and Sam took me in. I know that we all like to joke about Sam taking in strays, but he’s damn good at it. He gave me a home. He gave us a home. You and I wouldn’t have anywhere near normal lives if it wasn’t for Sam.

“Back before the war, I always dreamed about settling down and having a family. I always wanted that with Steve, but I knew it was impossible,” Bucky continued. “I wish that I could get rid of the years that I was the Winter Soldier, but I can’t. If it was up to me, I would get rid of all of it and just take a long nap between 1940 and 2023, but it’s not that easy. If I didn’t get the serum, I wouldn’t be here now.

“This life with Sam and the Wilsons and you, it’s my little sliver of a normal life. I want to enjoy it and squeeze every last drop of it out,” Bucky told her. He smiled at her. “I don’t know why you asked me, but if you’re looking for advice I’ll say this: the serum is not you. You are a person outside of it. You can use it all you want, but you need to make sure that it’s not your entire personality. You need to have a life outside of being a super soldier. You need to strive for normal even though you’re most likely never going to get it.”

Karli took in everything Bucky said. She nodded slightly. “I think I want to go to college.”

“Yeah?” Bucky asked, causing Karli to nod again. “Well, if that’s what you want, then Sam and I support you.”

“Thanks, Buck,” Karli said softly. “I think I’m feeling better if you want to go to sleep.”

“Only if you’re sure.”

“I’m sure.”

“Alright, goodnight, pea,” Bucky said, and on pure instinct, he leaned forward to kiss her on the forehead. He didn’t know if it was the right move until he saw the grin on her face.

“Night,” she whispered, and Bucky smiled at her one last time before leaving her room and heading back to the couch. He tried to be quiet, but he knew he failed when Sam moved.

“Bucky? What’s going on?” he asked groggily. 

“Karli had a nightmare. I went to talk to her,” Bucky explained. Sam rubbed his eyes and nodded. “Why don’t you head to your room?”

“Come with me?” Sam asked sleepily. Bucky didn’t move. “Come on. You can’t keep sleeping on the couch. Sleep in my room tonight.”

“Yeah, okay,” Bucky replied, pulling Sam up off the couch. “Let’s go to bed then.”

...

Karli was the first one to wake up the next morning. She left her room, and she heard Sam’s door open. She watched as Bucky walked out and immediately went to the bathroom. A moment later, she saw Sam walk out of the room, and she smirked. 

“Don’t,” he said. “It’s too early for that shit.”

“It’s too early to talk about whatever you got down to in there last night?” Karli questioned, and Sam shuddered. 

“Karli, that is disgusting. Besides, nothing happened last night. We didn’t even kiss. We just slept. Not that I would tell you if we did anything because that’s disgusting.”

“Wait, wait wait. What do you mean nothing happened last night, Sam?” Karli asked. Sam just shrugged. “Oh, my God. You’re both so useless. I’m gonna have to fix this myself, aren’t I?”

“What does that mean?” Sam asked, but Karli was already walking away. “What does that mean? Karli!”

“Calm down, I’m just going to Sarah’s,” Karli replied, heading down the stairs and out of the house. She walked across the yard and made her way to Sarah’s house. “Hello, Wilsons. Where is everyone?”

“In here!” a voice called from the kitchen. Karli walked in to find Sarah cooking breakfast. “What’s up?”

“We need to get Sam and Bucky together like yesterday,” Karli groaned. “They’re insufferable. They’re both so in love with each other.”

“Who Uncle Sam and Uncle Bucky?” Cass asked when he walked in. “I thought they were already together.”

“Sure seems that way, doesn’t it, bud?” Sarah replied, handing him a plate. “I have a plan. I just need them to get here, and I’ll make it happen.”

“Good morning, everyone!” a voice said just then, and Karli and Sarah exchanged a smile. Sam and Bucky both joined them in the kitchen.

“Oh, hey, now that everyone’s here, is anyone free to watch Cass and AJ tonight?” Sarah asked, shooting Karli a conspiratal look.

“Me!” Karli said a little too eagerly. “I miss hanging out with them. I’d love to watch them for a night.”

“Okay, perfect,” Sarah said.

“Hey, we can have them over. It’ll be fun,” Sam suggested, and Karli’s heart dropped.

“I think that the cousins need a little quality time together,” Sarah explained. “No nosy uncles necessary.”

“And I’m sure that Pookie and Cooke could also use some quality time together,” Karli said, looking into Sam’s eyes. He cleared his throat and looked away.

“So, breakfast?”

...

Sam and Bucky hadn’t been alone for an extended period of time for months. It’s not that Sam wasn’t happy that he was going to be able to spend the whole night alone with Bucky because he definitely was. It was just that he was a little nervous. He was Captain America, and his job was keeping the country safe, but, yes, he was a little nervous to spend a night with the man he was most likely in love with.

The past few months had felt like things were building up to come to a head. He and Bucky had a relationship that was closer than he had ever imagined them being. They had a house together. They were their own little family. These were things they never had to talk about, but Sam knew that they were going to have to discuss something that night. 

When Bucky suggested Sam’s favorite take out place for dinner or when he grabbed Sam the beer he knew he liked, Sam felt a smidge of hope that maybe his feelings weren’t one sided. Maybe Bucky felt the same way. Or, maybe he was being delusional. 

“Wanna watch a movie tonight?” Bucky asked, taking a bite of his dinner. “We can watch that movie you were telling me about the other night?”

“You remembered that?” Sam asked, heart filling with warmth. Bucky smiled at him.

“Of course, I did,” Bucky replied, sounding way more intimate and kind than normal. He smiled, thinking of something he hadn’t let Sam in on yet. “I’m happy, you know. Like, really happy.”

“Yeah?” Sam asked, grinning from ear to ear.

“I was telling Karli about it last night. I’m really grateful to have this life with you and your family. And, I know that it’s weird that I tell Karli these things and not you, but I’m telling you now. I’m very, very happy here,” Bucky explained. Sam didn’t let the tears that were forming in his eyes fall.

“I’m happy too,” Sam said, taking the last bite of his food. “And, I’m happy that you’re opening up to Karli. You guys are really close. It’s good for both of you.”

“She’s close to you too,” Bucky assured him. “She really looks up to you. I think she’s worried about letting you down, even though we both know that’s impossible.”

“We also both know that she’d be very upset that we’re talking about her tonight,” Sam joked, causing Bucky to laugh. “No kid talk. Just a Pookie and Cooke night.”

“Yes, you’re right,” Bucky responded. He grabbed Sam’s takeout container. “I’ll clean up in here, and you go put the movie on, okay?”

“Sure,” Sam said, heading into the living room. Bucky walked in a few minutes later and the TV still wasn’t on.

“Sam?” Bucky asked, and Sam let out a sad sounding laugh. “What’s wrong? Sam?”

“No, no nothing’s wrong,” Sam assured him. He patted the couch next to him, and Bucky sat down. Sam turned to face him. “I love how you say my name.”

“What?” Bucky questioned, completely thrown off guard.

“My name is just so basic. It’s so boring. Three boring letters, but the way you say it...I don’t know,” Sam began to explain. “It feels like it means something.”

“Well, that’s because when I say it, it means...uh, it means everything,” Bucky told him. He looked into Sam’s eyes. “You mean everything to me, and I guess you can hear it in my voice.”

“Bucky--”

“No, let me have a speech,” Bucky interrupted him with a smile. “You always get to have the speeches, and I love them, but I want a turn.”

“Alright, go ahead.”

“I will if you stop interrupting me,” Bucky joked. He cleared his throat. “You are the kindest most amazing human I’ve ever met, and I’ve been alive for a very, very long time. You’re so giving to everyone, even if they don’t show you that they deserve it. You care about everyone despite whatever they have going on. 

“I didn’t realize that my feelings for you were more than platonic until a few months ago. I didn’t think that I could ever love anyone else...not after…” Bucky took a breath. “This isn’t about him though. It’s about you and me. When I realized I loved you, I was really scared. I was scared that I was going to get hurt again, but I realized that you would never ever hurt me. You couldn’t. You don’t have one unkind bone in your body.

“I knew I was in love with you, but then I saw you as Cap. I already thought you were the most amazing person in the world, but then you fucking lifted that truck. You saved so many people, not to mention how hot it was,” Bucky continued, letting out a shaky laugh. Sam blushed heavily. “Then, I saw you with Karli, and I knew that you were the person that I want to spend the rest of my ridiculously long life with. We built this house together, and we have a semi-daughter together, and I’ve never been happier in my entire life. I know this is a lot, and maybe it’s too much too fast, but I love you, and I’m sick of hiding it.”

“It’s not,” Sam assured him, reaching out to grab his hand. “It’s not too much too fast. I’ve been waiting for this for a very long time. I’m so fucking in love with you, James Bucnahan Barnes.”

“Damn, my full legal name.”

“I wanted it to be very formal when I said it for the first time. I thought people from back in your day liked to be courted properly,” Sam joked, and Bucky rolled his eyes. 

“I take it back. I don’t love you,” Bucky said sarcastically. Sam just nodded and moved forward to put a hand behind Bucky’s neck. 

“That’s not true,” Sam whispered against Bucky’s lips.

“No, it’s not true,” Bucky whispered back before kissing Sam. Sam pulled back with a smile.

“So I take it you liked the suit if that was what made you realize you wanted me for the long run,” Sam said cheekily. Bucky kissed his neck.

“I worked very hard on that design,” he informed Sam. “And, I never even got a thank you.”

“I’ll give you a thank you,” Sam whispered, closing his eyes as Bucky continued to kiss him. “I’ll thank you all night long.”

“Good. That’s what I like to hear.”

...

When Karli got home a few hours later, Sam and Bucky were already off to bed, and Karli had never been more grateful for something in her entire life. She fell asleep with a smile on her face.

She woke up early the next morning and heard Sam and Bucky go downstairs. She stayed in bed for a while, wanting to give them some more time alone.

“Good morning, Sammy,” Bucky whispered, hugging Sam from behind as he cooked scrambled eggs for breakfast. 

“Morning, baby,” Sam whispered back, and Bucky held on tighter and kissed him at the pet name. Sam smiled to himself. 

Bucky pulled away and turned the coffee pot on. He went back to hold Sam some more as the coffee brewed. When the coffee pot beeped, Bucky immediately grabbed it and poured himself a mug. He grabbed two more mugs knowing that Sam and Karli would want some too. Just then, Karli walked into the kitchen, and Bucky handed her her coffee. He grabbed Sam’s and brought it over to the counter and placed it at Sam’s seat. 

“How sweet,” Karli muttered to Bucky. He grinned at her.

“I’m a spectacular boyfriend,” Bucky told her. Karli nodded, taking a sip of her coffee. Sam and Bucky both looked at her. 

“Hello? Earth to Karli. You’ve been waiting for us to get together for months. You’re not even going to react,” Sam scoffed, bringing the food over to the counter. She forked herself some eggs.

“I would’ve had more of a reaction if you waited for me to wake up a little more instead of springing it on me as soon as I walked into the kitchen,” she responded, taking a bite of her eggs. “Happy for you though.”

“All this time I thought we were lucky enough to be gifted with the one non-moody teenager in the world,” Bucky joked. “But, nope, we’re just like all those other poor saps.”

“Speaking of raising a normal teenager,” Karli said, perking up. Sam and Bucky both looked at her because that wasn’t exactly what they were talking about. “I’ve been thinking about it a lot, and I think that I’m going to apply to the local college. I graduated before the blip and everything, so I can technically go to school, even if it’s a little late. I could probably use a letter of recommendation from Captain America, if you wouldn’t mind.”

“I wouldn’t mind at all,” Sam said softly, tears forming in his eyes. “I’m really proud of you, bud.”

“I didn’t get in yet.”

“You’re going to,” Bucky stated simply. “It’s not even a question.”

“Promise me one thing?” Karli asked seriously. She started at both of them for a moment. 

“Anything,” Sam promised.

“Please, please, please- I am genuinely begging you- do not get one of those ‘Proud Dad’ shirts with the school’s logo on it.”

“I’m not promising that,” Bucky said, shaking his head and taking a bite of his eggs. “I will buy them in every color they have. I can promise you that.”

“Sam,” Karli groaned. Sam smiled and looked at his boyfriend before turning back to Karli with a serious face.

“Yeah, no, sorry. I’m probably going to get a bumper sticker too,” Sam told her. Karli let out another groan, and Sam and Bucky just laughed.

So, there they sat. Captain America, a hundred and six year old super soldier who was just trying to live his life, and a teenage girl who was somehow the perfect combination of both of them. The most unlikely family, but a family nonetheless.