It's all coming back to me now (Spot and Bucky)

[brooklynishere]

When the Hydra facility had been raided, the last thing anybody expected to find was a 16 year old kid on ice, and yet there he'd been. Steve had been the one to stop the Hydra scientist from shutting down the life support, but they hadn't got there in time to prevent the destruction of a good half the facility's records - including the ones about who the kid was or why he was there.

So what choice did they have but to wake him up and find out?

He was uncooperative at first, refused to give them any details other than the name 'Spot' and kept threatening to fight anybody that came close, though they managed to work out pretty easily that he was from Brooklyn and he'd been on the ice almost as long as Steve had. It's when he overhears a comment about Bucky that he seems to change his tune.

"Bucky Barnes?" he asks, and while he still seems wary, for the first time since he woke up he says something actually helpful "I'll talk to him. Tell him the name's Sean Conlon."

Comments

[not_a_commie]

Bucky gives the kid a look, "It's okay, it surprises some people." He says to Spot shaking his head a little fondly at Spot. "He's a little protective, prototype the VA is testing out." It's a lie but a good one, he's used a lot.

The woman smiles apologetically, "Shouldn't have staired, never have seen one with working fingers." She shrugs handing back the card.

"It's alright and yeah and most people haven't, so it's understandable." He waves as they leave the shop.

"Thank but you don't have to do that kiddo, it's a weird arm and one of a kind." He shrugs ruffling Spots hair as they start to walk again.

[brooklynishere]

"She shouldn't stare." he muttered stubbornly, though the ruffle on his hair earns a cry of annoyance. He ducks away and smoothed his hands through his hair to tidy it up again. Spot Conlon did not have his hair ruffled.

And yet... well all the people he'd had to impress back in the day were all gone or old, now, and maybe he could indulge, just a little bit, in actually being a kid. So instead of threats or anger, he just nudges Bucky with his shoulder almost playfully.

"Where next?"

[not_a_commie]

"You wanna find a couple more staples or head to the house, this trip is up to you." He says laughing at the shoulder nudge.

They hit a few more shops getting the last of the needed items including sneakers, it's enough to get him through summer they can worry about fall later.

He takes the cover off the top of the jeep again and puts the bags in the back seat. "Alright home we go." He says starting up the jeep.

They drive home it takes about 20 minutes, and he hangs the resident parking pass in the window, and they find a spot not far from the house.

Bucky leads him up the front steps, and pulls the keys out, "We'll have to make copies for you." He says as he opens the door.

[brooklynishere]

Spot's hand automatically goes to where the key he wore around his neck usually sat, but it drops quickly enough when he remembers it's not there anymore. He focuses instead on taking in the house, but it's not long before he's settled in and getting used to living there.

Within a few weeks they've mostly settled into a routine, which is to say Spot spends most of his days trying to get out of the house and avoid all the catch up work he's supposed to be doing to prepare for school, and Bucky and Steve make him sit down and do it. Most of the time.

It's a little over a week before school starts that Bucky gets the mission, and Spot asks with his very best well-practiced I-don't-care-I'm-just-asking tone if Bucky will be back before his first day, and they're getting to know Spot well enough that they can see the relief in his eyes when he's told Bucky will be.

Only then the day comes that Bucky's supposed to return and Spot spends the whole day just happening to do his work near the front window so he can see when Bucky gets back. Except he doesn't, and he's not back the next day either.

Steve trying to get Spot to do anything becomes like pulling teeth. He's sullen and difficult, he spends more time than ever out the house (though it's mostly hanging around the Brooklyn bridge and pretending he isn't watching out for Bucky), he argues about everything. Steve is smart enough to recognise it for what it is; worry. He lets Spot get away with more than he probably should. Mostly because he's worried himself.

He goes to school when he's supposed to, though he doesn't exactly make the greatest of first impressions stalking the halls like a thundercloud.

The second day is just as bad - until he walks out of the gates and sees Bucky waiting there. Surprise and relief flash across his face as he stops dead - until it suddenly transforms into something akin to rage and he storms over.

"Where the fuck have you been?"

[not_a_commie]

Bucky has a stitched-up cut above his eyebrow, but he is calm and understanding, an apologetic expression on his face.

"Siberia." He says honestly, "Our ride was late." He adds with equal honesty "Comms went out, couldn't even get a hold of Steve, but I always come back." He says, "Sorry I'm late." He adds frowning a little. "Tried to get back, for your first day, come here."

[brooklynishere]

"Sorry I'm late?" Spot repeats, his tone low and harsh. It's a tone that would have had any number of Brooklyn kids running for cover back in the day "That's all you's got to say for yourself?"

Never mind that Bucky had given a reasonable explanation, if anything that only made Spot more angry.

"You was s'posed to be back four days ago."

[not_a_commie]

"I know." He says pushing fingers through his kind of dirty hair. "I try to get back on time, know what I say doesn't matter but I really did try." He huffs a little and pulls Sean in for a hug, "Try not to be late again."

"Come Steve and I go get food when one of use gets back, you're part of that two now." He says arm around Sean. "Just gotta get cleaned up."

[brooklynishere]

Spot tries to resist being pulled into the hug, punching Bucky's chest ineffectually as he's dragged close, though he knows how useless it is. For all his struggling and angry grumbling, though, he's actually kind of glad of it, so after his initial resistance he stops trying to pull away and actually accepts the hug. It's a solid reminder that Bucky is here and safe and he made it back, and all the worry that's been overwhelming him for the past four days can go away now.

"Yea," he mutters "you stink."

[not_a_commie]

"Happens." He starts walking toward the jeep, "Tell me how the first day was." He says it's not a question. There is a very long-locked case in the back seat and a duffle bag.

He hops in and starts the car, taking the long way home. "Haven't been home yet, called Steve to let him know I was back."

[brooklynishere]

Spot glances curiously over the case in the back seat as he climbs in, guessing it's some kind of weapon and really wanting to ask (or see it), but distracted by the news that Bucky came straight here. He's still angry, because it's Spot and that's just how he deals with emotions, but he can't help but be a little pleased as well, knowing that Bucky thought he was important enough to be his first stop after getting home.

"School was fine," he shrugs, giving Bucky a vaguely amused look "he's going to be mad you haven't gone home yet. He... he was really worried about you, you know."

[not_a_commie]

"I called him." Bucky says easily, "Knew this was important." He shrugs.

He looks at Spot, "Fine isn't an answer." He points out, "Can't play me kid, also Steve talked to me on the way over here." He says lips twitching a little as he looks over at Sean.

"So spit it out, Steve said something about a call from the science teacher?"

[brooklynishere]

Spot slumps down in his chair with a sullen expression. Steve's been pretty lenient with his wild behaviour over the last few days, now he's kind of wondering if he was just waiting until they knew Bucky was safe and back so they could both decide how to punish him for it.

It didn't help that stupid science teachers wouldn't leave well enough alone when he was obviously already in a mood. He'd been more patient with Spot today, though, which makes him think Steve probably told him something close to the truth when he called last night - or at least the part where Spot was dealing with more than just the usual first-day-of-school nerves.

"Well if you already know, why's you askin'?"

[not_a_commie]

"I know what Steve told me." He says stopping at a red light and looking at Spot, "Which is what the science teacher told him, I want to know your side." He shrugs, starting to drive again when the light changes. "No one's mad at you, by the way, everyone messes up." He shrugs.

"So one you're not gonna get in trouble, and two you gotta talk to us."

[brooklynishere]

"Lost my temper is all." Spot admits, glancing at him out the corner of his eye, trying to gauge if Bucky really meant it about not being mad at him. He might have mostly settled in to life with Bucky and Steve but that doesn't mean he's got them completely figured out, and he's still trying to figure out where the lines are.

"I was in a lousy mood yesterday an' the class was makin' it worse."

[not_a_commie]

Bucky hums nodding, “a bad mood doesn’t normally lead to a call home.” He points out as they pull up to the house. “S’okay to worry, when I’m gone, when Steve’s gone, but you live with us, we are both here for you.” He rubs a hand over his face fighting a yawn. “Just gotta talk to us.” He says turning off the jeep and giving Sean time to respond.

[brooklynishere]

"I just..." Spot avoids looking over at him, staring down into his lap as he picks at the edge of a hole in his jeans "Look, I ain't used to relyin' on nobody else, okay? I stayed strong for my boys an'... an' that was that. Ain't used to... talkin' 'bout this kinda stuff."

Being the leader of the Brooklyn newsies had been a lot of responsibility, and he'd taken it on without question, it just meant he didn't spent a lot of time actually being a kid.

[not_a_commie]

“You can rely on us.” Bucky says looking at Sean, “so what happened?” He asks voice lower then before. “Talk about it, then when can all go get dinner, after I shower and you get some homework done.”

[brooklynishere]

Spot sighs, frustrated but resigned, and his expression is mutinous but he starts talking, knowing there's no way Bucky's going to let him off the hook on this one.

"I had teachers callin' me Sean all day, an' by the time I got to that science class I was done with it. Same as all the others I asked him to call me Spot. He wouldn't, so I just ignored him when he called me Sean. Then he said he wasn't gonna use no 'stupid nickname'. So I told him to go fuck himself."

[not_a_commie]

“Aw Christ, Spot you can’t go telling people or teachers to go fuck themselves, no matter how good it feels.” He says shaking his head.

“Look not teacher is going to call you, Spot, just like not everyone calls me Bucky, it’s gonna be a mix, and Sean’s not a bad name.” He shrugs. “It was my dad’s middle name.” He finally shares.

“Come on you and Steve can pick where we go while I get cleaned up.”

[brooklynishere]

Spot just nods, reluctantly, but he knows Bucky's right. Or at least, he knows Bucky's right that he can't tell teachers to go fuck themselves and get away with it.

He climbs out the car, expression thoughtful at that revelation. Before they reach the house, he glances up at Bucky.

"Does it bother you, that I don't like to use it?" he asks, never having considered before now that the name might have come from Bucky rather than his mother.

[not_a_commie]

“No.” He says quick and easy. “I mean my name is James Buchanan Barnes, but I go by Bucky, Steve never in his life has used James.” He points out. “You wanna be Spot I’ll call you Spot, might slip now and again.” He says honestly as they walk into the house.

Steve looks from from the couch where he’s working in a sketch book, “You’re late.” Steve says smiling coming over to Bucky and kissing him, “such a jerk.” He shakes his head laughing at Bucky.

“Punk.” Bucky says kissing Steve one more time before dropping his bag and the case by the door. “Pick dinner I’m going to shower.”

He ruffles Spot’s hair and smiles, “get some of your homework done kiddo.”

[brooklynishere]

"...thanks dad." Spot mumbles, almost sheepishly, and immediately hangs back a little as Bucky enters the house - giving Steve and Bucky a moment to themselves. He knows how worried he was, whether he'll admit it or not, so he can only imagine how bad it was for Steve.

The ruffle of his hair earns the usual scowl and flailing of hands to bat him away, fussing over his hair as he makes his way to the table to get started on his homework, and it's a mark of how relieved he is to have Bucky back that he does so without even bothering to complain about it.

[not_a_commie]

Bucky hears the dad comment but doesn't say anything, he'll let the kid go at his own pace. But it does feel kind of good, well really good he and Steve had been talking about adopting at some point. Figures things wouldn't happen the normal way for them.

Steve goes and sits at the table with Spot, working in his sketchbook again, normally he'd follow Buck into the shower, but having the kid makes him feel a little awkward. Not about having a kid, no Steve already loves the boy like his own. He's just always been very private about that kind of affection with Bucky. He'll make dirty jokes, he'll tease Bucky in front of people, but that stuff was just for him and Bucky. He'll figure it out.

"How much do you have for the week?" Steve asks, and tacts on, "What are you in the mood for dinner wise. We get to pick because he was late." Steve laughs.

[brooklynishere]

For his part, Spot doesn't really care about what Steve and Bucky get up to - as long as he doesn't have to be aware of it, which is pretty much like any kid who absolutely does not want to think about his parents having sex.

"Loads," he pulls a face "Seems like every class has somethin'."

He's mostly just grumbling though, it's less work than he was doing over the summer to catch up, and he figures it'll only take him an hour or two a night - it's just an hour or two he would rather be doing something more interesting.

"Pizza?" he suggests, because Spot always suggests Italian. It reminds him of Race.

[not_a_commie]

"Sounds good there's a good Italian place down the street." Steve nods without looking up from working on his drawing. "It's been open since Bucky and I were kids." He laughs, "Columbo's Since 1918." He says, "The original owner's grandson runs it now, all kinds of Photo's on the walls."

About 30 minutes later Bucky comes down looking far more relaxed, and less like he got hit by a truck. Now that he's showered the stitches along his eyebrow stand out a little. more, but it doesn't look that serious now that he's clean.

"Alright so where are we going I could eat a horse."