Lucky Penny // Avengers Fanfiction

Chapter Ten - Evergreen Everywhere

The next couple days were relaxed, with Penny and Bucky both getting into the routine of living together. It was awkward at first. Bucky wasn't used to having someone else in the apartment, and had some weird habits. Drinking straight from the carton, a habit he had most likely picked up from Sam, walking around with only his underwear on, sometimes just staring into space for a very long period of time. The last one had freaked Penny out when Bucky had been staring at a blank wall for 5 minutes without blinking. Now she knew that he was probably just thinking, and to leave him to his staring.

Penny on the other hand was the opposite. She was getting used to living with only one person. Most mornings she woke up thinking she would find a head of blonde hair hanging in her face, and the face of the clock reading 6 am. She would get up early, only to realize she didn't have to make breakfast for everyone. She still couldn't believe she got a room to herself. For her to decorate no less. She had a lot of ideas, and it was hard for her to choose what she wanted to do.

She had finally settled on a couple ideas, merging them into one, and they had gone out to get supplies the other day. Paint, some frames and shelves, sheets and blankets for her bed, maybe a stuffed animal or two, not that she could forget about Milo, and some clothes. Furniture would have to wait. They had plans to paint today, setting some sheets over the floors and plastic over her bed and anything else they wouldn't want paint on. 

"Ok. Here we go." Bucky stood in the doorway of Penny's bedroom, in the most ridiculous outfit ever. He had tied his hair up into some sort of bun, although there were stray strands everywhere, he had on overalls, which Penny didn't even know he possessed, and a t-shirt underneath that said, 'You are my sunshine', with a Captain America shield as the sun. A gift from Steve most likely. 

"What are you wearing?" Penny laughed when she saw him. 

"What?" Bucky defended himself. "It's my painting outfit. Do you not like it?" Penny giggled again as he looked down at his clothes and gave her a confused look.

"It's great. Where's the shirt from?" Bucky rolled his eyes.

"Steve thought it would be funny. There's a reason it's a paint shirt." 

"Whatever." Penny shook her head at him. She quickly tied her hair up, grumbling about needing a haircut, and picked up a roller. "Let's do this." Bucky picked up his own, and held it out, tapping it to the side of Penny's. 

"Let's do this." He echoed. Bucky poured the paint into the holder and ran his roller through it, Penny following the action. They started on separate walls, facing away from each other. There was comfortable silence as the only sound was the rollers and the crunch of plastic when one of them hit it. Bucky had finished about half the wall, when he heard Penny say,

"Music." He turned around to see her, pausing in his painting.

"What?"

"Music, we need some music." Penny said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. 

"What kind?"

"I dunno. Whatever you want." She said as she turned back to her wall and started to paint again. So Bucky got out his phone, and a bluetooth speaker that Tony had gifted him (I've got JARVIS, I don't need this useless thing), and started to play some music. He didn't really know what he played, a playlist with 'happy' in it's title. It seemed fitting. Out of the corner of his eye, Bucky could see Penny smile. 

"I love this song!" She started to hum along, muttering the words and bopping her head. Bucky checked his phone. 'Valerie.' He made sure to remember that. 

With new energy because of their tunes, the painting went faster. Penny was singing along to the songs she knew, and Bucky was watching her dance, making a mental note of all the songs she seemed to love the most. Soon they were almost done, just a few finishing touches left. Bucky was filling in the edges beside the door frame when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning around, brush in hand, he was met with a finger bopping his nose. Covered in paint. 

"Did you just...?" He trailed off, trying and failing to look at his nose, before looking back up at Penny. She giggled, and poked him again, this time on the cheek. "You're gonna regret that!" He shouted, dipping his hand in the paint tray and catching her shoulder. She squealed, and tugged out of his grasp, only to find the paintbrush Bucky had dropped. She grinned at him, slowly leaned down, grasped the paintbrush, and wiped it down his front. He gasped dramatically.

"My sunshine shirt!" That set Penny laughing, and while she was distracted, Bucky grabbed the other paintbrush, and painted her cheek the dark green they were using for her room. It started a full paint war, ending with both of them covered in evergreen paint, laying on the floor laughing. It was a miracle they didn't mess up the walls. Out of breath from running around and laughing, they lay there, staring up at the ceiling, music still playing in the background. Penny let out a contented sigh, before rolling over to her stomach. 

"You've got some paint here." She stated, waving her hand around Bucky's entire body. 

"I wonder who's fault that is." Bucky shot back, laughing. 

"Mm I think it's yours." 

"Mine? How is it my fault?" He asked. "You're the one who painted me first."

"Nooo. Never." She defended, before bursting into giggles. 

"Alright Pen, why don't you go get cleaned up, I'll pick things up here." Bucky finally stated, looking at the state of his daughter. He froze for a second at that thought. Penny was his daughter. His daughter. And he loved her. Yes. Daughter. 

"Bucky?"

"Hm? What?" 

"You were staring again." She chuckled. "I asked if you needed any help here before I go and take a shower." 

"Nah I'll be fine. Go ahead." So she ambled off to the bathroom to take a shower, and Bucky stayed to clean up the sheets, plastic and paint. When Penny was finally done scrubbing the paint out of her hair, Bucky had a shower too, washing all the paint off his body. Penny was sitting on the couch, reading her book, when Bucky came out. 

"We still going to the orphanage tomorrow?" Penny asked.

"Yeah of course. It's your birthday isn't it?"

"Yeah, but I was just making sure." 

"I wouldn't forget. Also, I don't really know what you want. Wanna give me a hint?" 

"Oh well, I mean books. Other than that... I dunno."

"Books? That's it?" Bucky looked skeptical. 

"Yeah well I can't really think of anything else." She seemed a little embarrassed.

"Alright. I'll find you some good books." Bucky reassured her.

"Sounds good." But Bucky had other plans. Sure maybe he would buy her a book or two, but he wanted to give her something amazing. It was her first birthday with him after all. Then he remembered he had a billionaire inventor on the other end of the phone. He would definitely be getting her the best birthday present ever.

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So it's been awhile, I'm sorry. I'll try to get them out sooner, and I don't really have an excuse cause it's summer now and I'm free like all the time. I have 9 people I need to put chapters out for. Also, it's gonna get more exciting I promise. Don't you worry. Have an amazing day/night/afternoon wherever you are, and I hope you enjoyed!

- Abby