Modern Royalty

Spin the Bottle

Chapter 28
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"I think you embarassed him", Asriel says and Bucky laughs. "Would she be his first girlfriend?", Bucky asks and May nods. "Hm... Starting for the first time is always awkward." He stands up and jogs after his cousin. "Go away", Peter grumbles, staring at his phone. "Hey, I had several girlfriends before, alright? The first was the most difficult. You're nervous. Trying to do everything right...", Bucky says and Peter looks up. "You had girlfriends?", he asks. "I'm bi?", James answers sarcastically.

"Oh", Peter mumbles and sighs. "It's always hard, okay?", Bucky says and stops Peter from going into his room. "How about you show me around and tell me about that party you want to go to?" His cousin's eyes light up and he nods. "Okay, uhm, Vincent is having a party because his parents are on vacation", Peter starts as they get their jackets. "A big party or just some friends?", Bucky asks and puts gloves on. "He invited like half our grade. Thirty people and he said we could bring friends", Peter answers as they go outside.

"So I guess there will be about fifty people?", Bucky smiles and looks around. "Yeah, probably", Peter nods and shows him the town. "I gotta babysit our neighbours' daughter tomorrow", he sighs after a while. "What's so bad about it?", James asks and looks down at him. "Nothing, but it's boring", Peter admits and shrugs. "I could keep you company, I'm just not good with children", Bucky offers and grins slightly. "She's just two", Peter says and starts smiling. "You don't have to come, though."

"It's better than being bored", Bucky laughs and like that they end up in the neighbouring house a day later. Meanwhile, Steve drew a picture of them based on one they took in the mountains. He works in the garden house, when Eleanore joins him. "Looks great", she says and smiles. "Thanks, grandma", Steve says and looks up. "I just miss him, I don't know. If he was at Hydra, okay, but he's across the ocean." "I know, munchkin", she answers and hugs him.
"He wrote me that he's babysitting a little girl with his cousin...", Steve mumbles and smiles. "I- I tried to draw it, but I trailed off." He looks at the drawing, Bucky and him, a small girl in the foreground. "That happens sometimes. Come on, it's time for lunch, you can't skip a meal again", Eleanore says and they go inside.

Bucky looks around the flat and grins, when Peter enters the living room with a two-year-old girl on his arm. She mumbles something in norwegian and then stares at Bucky.
She turns to Peter and tugs on his shirt before pointing at Bucky and asking,"Hvem er han?" Peter chuckles and answers her calmly. He sets the girl down and whispers something into her ear before she walks towards James. "Are you a prince?", she asks with a strong accent, as if she didn't know what the words actually meant. "Yes, I am", Bucky says and kneels down, smiling. He hold out his right hand and she shakes it. "James", he says and she giggles. "Jeg heter Sophie."

"Nice to meet you, ", Bucky smiles and watches as she looks at Peter, who translates the sentence for her. They start playing together as Sophie explains a game and Peter translates it for Bucky. "She wants you to pick her up", Peter says, when Sophie tries to reach Bucky's shirt to tug on it. "Alright", James grins and lifts her up carefully. A while later they watch TV and Bucky just smiles whenever Sophie giggles as he doesn't understand most of what is said.

"Can you get her to bed?", Peter asks and Bucky nods, picking her up gently. Sophie tries to get away and pulls on Bucky's shirt. She stops suddenly and stares at his shoulder. James quickly moves his collar back into place, knowing that she saw the scars already. Sophie starts crying and mumbling, clearly upset. Peter comes back into the room and looks at her shockedly. "What did you do?", he asks. Sophie claws onto Bucky's shirt desparately. "I didn't do anything", he says helplessly.

"She says that you're hurt", Peter says and fails to take her from Bucky, as she clings onto him. "She saw my scars because she pulled on my shirt", Hydra's prince answers and walks towards the nursery. "How bad can they be?", Peter sighs. "Pretty bad, to be honest", Bucky says. "Shh, it's alright. Sophie... Shh", he mumbles and strokes over her back gently. He starts humming silently and she calms down slowly as he lies her down in her bed.