Lucky Penny // Avengers Fanfiction

Chapter Six - One Word. Spanish

The next two months were awesome. School was out, so Penny wasn't bored out of her mind all day. The weather was warming up. Summer was the best month in Penny's opinion. And then there was Bucky. Since the day he came back, he was there every week like clockwork. It was... nice. They had become close, and and after a month of seeing each other every Saturday, Bucky came by one afternoon, on a Thursday.

Penny was confused, because normally Pamela wouldn't allow anyone to visit on another day, much less take the kid to McDonald's. But that's exactly what happened. Bucky showed up, and they went on an adventure. Not a very riveting one, but an adventure. They got McDonald's and sat in the park, visited some ducks in the pond, and explored. And Penny loved it.

So it was routine, he would come every Saturday, and maybe once or twice more during the week, usually a Thursday or Tuesday. They would go someplace, either to explore or just to talk. It was fun. And Penny couldn't deny that she loved it. In the back of her mind, even though she knew she shouldn't, she was beginning to hope. A tiny spark of hope that there was even a small chance, that he would adopt her. It sounded stupid in her mind. But what if he actually did? She smiled at the thought.

"PENNY!"

"What?" She called back. Isaiah had made it a hobby to annoy her day in and day out. She was very very close to punching him.

"COME HERE!" He shouted again from downstairs.

"Fine! But if I get slime or whipped cream in my hair, I swear you are going to regret it." She hollered back.

"Calm down! You'll be fine!" With those very reassuring words, she headed downstairs, on very high alert. Creeping down the steps, she paused almost at the bottom, peeking around the corners and searching for any sign of a prank.

"Oh calm down. I'm right here." She heard Isaiah's voice from across the room. Looking to the kitchen, she found him scowling at something. "Don't worry I saved the pranks for later." Penny glared at his back, before walking over to him.

"What's wrong and why am I here?" She asked.

"One word for you."

"Technically that's four words."

"Don't be a smart ass."

"So you think I'm smart."

"No. Yes. Just help me." He cried, dropping his pencil onto the table.

"So what's the one word." He stared up at her, rolling his eyes.

"Spanish." He spat out.

"Ah. Got it. So what do you need me for?" Penny asked. She knew French, English and ASL fluently. But if you asked her to hold a conversation in any other languages she could list off more than a couple.

"Help duh."

"Yeah I got that Zay. What specifically do you need my help with." He huffed in annoyance at her, before showing her the problem. It was a part in some sort of manual, that had absolutely no English at all for some reason. And Isaiah being Isaiah, was being a drama queen as usual. Not even bothering to try and translate for himself. Oddly enough, she knew the answers quickly, and the words came easily. Almost too easily. She shrugged it off, maybe she had a really good knack for languages. Yeah, that was it.

"Got it?" Penny asked, after translating it for maybe the fourth time.

"If I say no," he paused, "will you tell me again?" She sighed heavily.

"Fine. One more. Then you're done. Write it down this time or something." Penny translated again, slowly. "Good?"

"Good." He had written down everything, and walked away, paper clutched in hand.

"You're welcome!" She called after him.

"Thank you!" He yelled back.

"There we go." Penny said smiling. She grabbed a glass from the cupboard and poured herself some orange juice. Downing it quickly, she turned her head when she heard voices. Emerging from Pamela's office, pretty much a larger than average closet with a desk and chair in it, she saw Bucky and Pamela talking. Bucky had a relieved look on his face, wearing a huge smile. 

"Bucky! When did you get here?" She asked, running up to him. Penny wanted to hug him, and had her arms opened, but decided against it at the last minute, and awkwardly tugged her arms into her body. 

"Not that long ago. You wanna come? We're getting doughnuts." He leaned over and whispered that last part, glancing up at Pamela. 

"Oh yeah! Let's go!" She grabbed her shoes, shoving them on quickly, and then bounding out the door, Bucky at her heels. Penny slowed down so they could walk beside each other. Soon enough, they came upon a small café, Rise and Shine. 

"We haven't been here in a while." Penny commented. She loved this place. Although it was small, it reminded her of how close everyone was in the orphanage, plus they had really good doughnuts.

"I know. But I bet I can still guess what you'll get." He said it with a small smile on his face, challenging her. 

"No way. But I can guess what you'll get." Penny smiled back. Knowing exactly what he wanted. 

"I'll go first." He narrowed his eyes, pretending to think. "White chocolate mocha, and the cinnamon sugar doughnut." 

"Cheater." Penny muttered. "Fine you're right. But now my turn. Black coffee with two sugars. Plus a boring doughnut."

"It's not boring."

"The name is literally plain. Yes it's boring." She shot back, arching an eyebrow.

"Fine fine. Why don't you find a seat, I'll get our things." She nodded, and went to find a seat near a corner. Bucky soon came back with their doughnuts and coffee, and as soon as the doughnut was set in front of her it was gone. 

"That was fast." Bucky commented, chuckling. Penny licked off her fingers.

"That was good." She sipped her coffee. Exactly right. This day couldn't get any better. They sat in the café, talking and joking, and soon Bucky was finished his boring doughnut. Penny noticed that he was flexing his hand, making a fist and then releasing it, a nervous habit. Not many people would notice it, but Penny was observant, and she had been hanging around him for a while. 

"Bucky? Are you okay?" He snapped his head up to look at her.

"Oh yeah sorry." He seemed to think for a minute, before taking a deep breath. "I wanted to say, or ask you something."

"Okay. Go ahead." In the back of her mind, there was a spark of hope, but she pushed it away, listening to Bucky.

"So uh, I talked to Pamela and um I was thinking about some things." He cleared his throat before continuing. "I um, the last two months have been awesome. And maybe," he cleared his throat again and Penny's eyes widened. "Pamela told me to ask you, so uh here it goes." He clenched his fist again, before taking a breath.

"Penny," he paused, "can I adopt you?" Penny sucked in a short breath. Was this really happening? All these years, thinking no one wanted her, and here came Bucky, asking if she wanted to be adopted. "You can say no, I mean I didn't expect-"

"Thank you." Penny had jumped out of her chair, wrapping her arms around the man, squeezing him tight. Bucky was shocked for a second, arms frozen where they were, and mouth hung slightly open. But after a second, he slowly wrapped his arms around the girl, embracing her tightly. "Thank you." He could hear the slight quiver in her voice as she said, "Yes. I'd love that." She pulled away, and he could see tears in her eyes, paired with a giant smile that stretched from ear to ear. 

"Alright." Bucky couldn't help the huge smile that creeped it's way onto his face. He'd done it. And she said yes.