The Captain's Husband

36. Pink (Steve)

    Plans for the evening did consist of dinner on the patio and a bonfire, but shortly after Ana's supersuit was officially given to her, it started pouring. Ana then decided that she was going to spend some time with Nat and Wanda. While they were running around the compound like hooligans, Bucky and I curled up on the couch to watch the storm.

     When the girls came off the elevator singing their own rendition of "I Will Always Love You" at the top of their lungs, Bucky and I tried to make a run for our bedroom to save our ears, but Ana chased us until she corralled us in the kitchen. Then she demanded that we have pancakes for dinner.

     At that point, Bucky didn't give a damn about Ana screeching a Dolly-Parton-classic-turned-Whitney-Houston-screamalong at full volume. All he cared about was the fact that he'd have complete control of the kitchen since his specialty is pancakes.

     Since then, though, the girls have gone to Ana's room to watch a movie and paint their nails and whatever the hell they think they're going to get away with.

     I look at Bucky as he sets a stack of plates in front of me.

   I'd much rather make pancakes and listen to the rain with my husband.

"Dad! Pops!" We hear.

     I look at Bucky. He shrugs and turns back to the stove.

     "Steven! James!" Natasha shouts.

     "Plates, baby?" Bucky asks.

     I hold the first plate out to him and he carefully sets a stack of pancakes on top of it. We go through the plates until we fill the countertop and all of the pancakes have a home.

     He presses a kiss to my cheek as he says, "Thanks, angel."

     We pour melted butter and syrup on top of each stack, and then Bucky pulls a bowl of freshly washed strawberries out of the fridge.

     "Come on, guys! We've got a surprise for you!" Wanda calls.

    "Pancakes, girls!" Bucky calls to them, knowing that'll get their attention real quick.

    "Pancakes!" Ana shouts, probably loud enough for everyone in the damn building to hear her.

     We hear them giggling as they come out of Ana's bedroom, and when Bucky and I turn around to give them their plates of pancakes, we nearly drop them.

Ana has bright pink hair, courtesy of her mothers. God help us all.

     "Ana Natalia Rogers-Barnes, you'd better start explaining right now," Bucky says, arms crossing over his chest like a reflex.

     I look at Nat and Wanda, and then I sigh in defeat, saying, "Buck, we can't be upset with her. It was the adults that did it." He raises an eyebrow. "Nat and Wanda. Look at their faces, babe."

     Bucky frowns at them, "No strawberries for you."

     "But, Bucky!" Wanda argues.

     He shakes his head, "Nope. It's already decided! No strawberries for you or you accomplice!"

     Nat pouts, "We thought it was cute." She pokes a hole in his ego. "You don't want your baby bear to think that she isn't cute, do you?"

     Ana queues up her puppy-dog eyes and walks over to him, snuggling right up in his arms as he sighs in defeat again.

     She might technically be an adult based on how fast she grew up, but she's always going to be his baby bear and she's always going to be my little girl.