Can We Keep Her?

The Graduation

Steve tightened his tie and shrugged on the jacket of his navy blue suit. It was strange how there were moments that just made you feel old. He had had them a lot, even back when he first woke up after being frozen, and while he was technically just shy of a hundred years old, he still felt like the 27 years he was when he froze in the first place. When he came across a piece of technology and he had no idea what it was for. When people started referencing movies and books that had come out while he was frozen. When they used some slang he didn't understand. Or when Tony and Bruce started talking jargon.

Nothing made him feel as old as his kids growing up. He first felt it when they stopped asking to be carried when they'd been walking too long. Then again when they started school. Starting high school was a big one.  As was when they turned thirteen. Graduating high school made him question the very nature of time that it could be going by so fast.

Now here was another one. Today Anthony was graduating from College.

He'd always had a natural aptitude for math and loved technology in that same wide-eyed wonder Bucky always had when he was young. What Anthony had that Bucky never did, was a family with money and an Uncle that helped push and grow his natural abilities. Even though they had lost Tony two years ago, Anthony kept pushing himself wanting to make him proud or live up to his name. So despite the fact he was also taking on Avengers duties, he managed to get his undergraduate degree a year earlier than most people and with a list of offers to do a Ph.D. from the top colleges around the country.

You came up behind Steve and kissed his neck. There were days where when you saw yourself in the mirror beside either of your husbands and you felt like you were the old lady with two toy boys. Today was not one of those days. You had dressed up for the occasion and you felt good. You were a proud mama hen about to see her son graduate.

"You ready?" you asked, straightening Steve's tie.

"As I'll ever be," he answered.

The two of you made your way out to the living room. Bucky was relaxed back in the recliner wearing a pair of black suit pants and a white dress shirt unbuttoned at the collar. The girls were already home for the summer, and Rebecca sat curled up in the other recliner with Alex, cuddling, and marathoning their way through the shows they'd promised not to watch until they were together again. Sarah was setting up an elaborate diorama made of chocolates she'd printed with a 3D printer. America and Kate had shown up to help her, though how much help Kate Bishop was being, was debatable. In the last year or so, those three had become very close. It was a little strange given Sarah was the only one of your kids who hadn't joined the Young Avengers. You'd learned to stop questioning these things too much. Life rarely made any sense.

"You both ready?" Bucky asked, looking up at you.

"Yes, and we better get a move on. Even with the Quin, it's going to take an hour to get there," Steve said.

Bucky rolled his eyes and got up. "I've been ready for twenty minutes."

Steve turned on the teens in the room. "Alright, girls. Don't forget people are coming around and we're relying on you to make sure everything is ready," he said.

Rebecca rolled her eyes. "Yes, dad. We remember."

"Don't worry, dad," Sarah added, coming over and kissing him on the cheek. I've made a timetable and America and Kate said they'd help," she said.

"Yeah, Cap, we got it under control. Parties we can handle," Kate added. "We're kinda proud of him too. But don't tell him that."

"Thank you, Kate," Steve said with a bemused smile.