Deadly Attachment

Chapter 15

- always believe that something wonderful is about to happen.

Within the hour, Bucky and I were walking around Babies 'R' Us, with Bucky holding the carrier in his mechanical arm while I place baby items in a basket.

"Why can't Tony do this?" Bucky grumbled in annoyance.

"Because Tony isn't here," I told him, grabbing a pair of purple footie pajamas for the sleeping baby. "And even if Tony were here, he wouldn't know what to do. He'd be just as helpless as you are."

"Hey!" Bucky frowned. "I'm not helpless."

"Please." I scoffed. "You looked terrified when Andrea was crawling towards you. Bucky, you even scooted away."

"I've never been approached by a baby before. What was I supposed to do?" He defended himself, and I gave him a light laugh, picking out two toys and placing them in my basket. "How much longer is this going to take? It feels like we've been here for hours." He complained.

I just ignored him and continued to pick out things that a baby might need, besides clothing and toys. I wasn't exactly informed on the subject, but I knew whatever I chose would be better than Bucky's choices.

"The others are going to start waking up soon." Bucky glanced at his phone. "They're going to notice we're not there."

"No, they won't."

"Natasha will notice you're not there." My steps faltered at his words, and when I looked at him I saw he was playing a smirk. "Don't think I don't know. It's obvious. You two have been sneaking out for the past three nights, going out on your little dates. I would think it was a mission, but you always returned closer than when you left."

I didn't know what to say, so I didn't say anything.

"I won't tell anyone, but they're all bound to start figuring it out soon."

"So let them figure it out. We don't owe anyone an explanation. We're allowed to be who we want." I mumbled, trying to distract myself with shopping for the baby in the carrier. Bucky chuckled and glanced at Andrea.

He hummed, brought the carrier closer to his face. "Looks like she woke up." I looked over, and met a pair of green eyes, watching us curiously. "I just hope she doesn't think I'm her father. The last thing I want right now is a child." He looked to baby Andrea, and said, "Listen to me, kid. I'm not your father. Tony Stark the playboy is, unfortunately, your father. I feel so sorry for you."

I pushed his shoulder with a laugh. "Don't tell her that Tony is her father. You might scare her." Bucky snickered at my comment, and we walked up to the register.

"What a beautiful baby." The woman working the register smiled at Bucky and I. "You two have such a beautiful baby."

Before Bucky could say something that might hurt our cover as regular civilians, I smiled and thanked her. Bucky would have said something about Tony being the father, and then we would be in trouble. I don't think Tony wants anyone to know he has a child until he sees his child himself.

Back at the tower, Bucky and I walked into the big room while Steve was having coffee. And as soon as Steve saw Bucky carrying a baby in the carrier, he got to his feet and walked over, confused as ever.

"What are you doing with that baby?" Steve asked us. Then he looked to Bucky. "Please tell me this isn't yours." And those words made me wonder if there was something else going on behind the team's back. Not just Natasha and I, but Bucky and Steve as well.

"It's not," Bucky said quickly. "Believe me, it's not."

Steve looked to me next, but I shook my head. "This is Tony's child."