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

[brooklynishere]

Spot retrieves the snacks surprisingly quickly since he knew exactly what he wanted to get already, so it's not much of a delay before they get back.

He's briefly distracted by Lucky, giving him a quick head ruffle before he trots away, and Spot watches with an impressed expression when he retrieves the soda.

"He seems like a pretty cool dog," Spot observes, before shooting a quick glance at the clock "Think I got time to go shower before everybody else gets here?"

Not that he's got anybody he wants to impress or anything.

[not_a_commie]

"Yeah..." Bucky says giving Sean the side-eye a little.

When Spot goes upstairs to shower Bucky goes back to hang out in the backyard he's chatting with Matt and Clint while Steve is playing with Lucky. When there is a knock on the door.

Bucky goes to answer and smiles at Peter, "Hi Mr. Barnes."

Bucky laughs, "What did I tell you to call me."

"Bucky." Peter replies rubbing the back of his neck. "Spot here?" He asks as Bucky lets him in, "He'll be downstairs in a minute grab a soda, only Matt and Clint are here, so far."

"Did Clint bring Lucky?" Peter asks with a smile.

[brooklynishere]

It might be kind of obvious, to Bucky at least, when Spot reappears that he's put on his favourite (and nicest) shirt and he's definitely done his hair, but the kid's got at least a little game so he's not all that awkward when he saunters into the room and leans casually against the doorframe with his hands in his pockets.

"Hey Pete," he says with a tilt of his head and a little half smile, which is a look that, he has on very good authority, is very attractive. "You wanna hang down here for a bit or you wanna go get this homework out the way?"

[not_a_commie]

Bucky blinks sighs and rolls his eyes, but where Spot can't see him, Steve is standing in the sliding glass door and mouths Pete at Bucky, and he has to do his best not to laugh. He wouldn't tell Spot but that's probably not as smooth as the kid thinks he's being.

After Peter, Nat drifts in and looks at Spot and Peter in the living room and rambles something at Bucky in fast-paced Russian, she sounds more amused than anything.


Peter looks at the homework Spot has laid out, and sees the big red D on the Chem homework. "You could have asked me for help," He says looking at Spot.

[brooklynishere]

There's something about the Russian that catches Spot's attention, just for a moment, but he doesn't know why given that he hasn't got the faintest clue what she just said, so he just drags his gaze back to Peter and tries to ignore every adult in the room trying to cramp his style.

Once they actually get to the homework and Peter sees his grade he has the decency to actually look slightly sheepish as he grabs the assignment and shoves it back in his bag out of sight.

"I guess I just didn't want you to think I was a dumbass or nothin'." he admits

[not_a_commie]

"Not everyone is good at everything." He points out, "Also you've probably never seen science like this." He points out with a shrug.

Bucky and Steve leave the only, but Bruce and Stephen peer at their science homework every once in a while. Peter blinks up at them, because good lord, two PhD's are watching him try to do his homework.

Dr. Strange and Dr. Banner walk back to the backyard, looking amused with themselves. "They do that to mess with me." But Peter sounds amused, "Bruce lets me use his lab sometimes."

A little while later, Bucky comes in to tell them to take a break and come hang out and eat.

A little later Bucky's cell phone rings, he chats for a minute. "Peter you're Aunt is working late at the hospital, she wants to crash here, or at Barton's tonight."

Peter is about to say something about staying home alone when Bucky and Clint say Mystero at the same time.

"Right sneaking out to fight crime and international travel and calamity." Peter rubs the back of his neck.

"You're lucky you had a good lawyer," Clint smirks making Matt laugh.

[brooklynishere]

Spot mostly just tries to ignore them, though he's at least smart enough to listen to any advice they drop in while they're looking. He's just not into science enough to be impressed by them, even if Bruce's picture is on the wall on his science classroom, to him they're just his dads' friends who could probably give him the answer to the homework question he hasn't figured out - not that he'll ask, but he makes sure they notice it when they come round and give him the answer without him having to say anything. When Peter comments that they're messing with him, the words are out of his mouth before he even thinks about it.

"You want me to soak em for ya?" Peter probably doesn't even know what "soak" means, and a scrawny 16 year old old has no chance against two actual superheroes, but threatening to beat people up is how Spot Conlon shows he cares, so there you have it. He plays it off as a joke easily enough. After, as he predicted, having to explain what soaking was.

When the offer to stay with them or Clint comes, and the accompanying commentary, Spot raises an eyebrow.

"Now that sounds like a story. You wanna stay over and tell me how it goes?"

It's really hard to be cool and flirtatious when your parents and all their friends are right there, so personally Spot thinks he deserves a god damn medal for how casual he manages to sound.

[not_a_commie]

“Is that like beat up?” Peter asks arching a brow, “because no no no,
Don’t they aren’t being mean, they uh just think I need more advanced science work.” He shrugs.

“I’ll stay with Steve and Bucky tonight. I have my switch in my backpack.” He grins a Spot.

“I thought Mea grounded you from tech that wasn’t for school work.” Steve says giving him a very Captain America look, before smiling. “Not gonna rat you out but both of you have to do the dishes or I will.” He smirks and Bucky laughs, Stephen is using his powers making a ball for lucky to chase. Clint and Matt are laying in the grass it’s a tiny yard but they seem to make it work.

“I’ll get the spare room set up while you clean the kitchen.” Bucky’s says stretching. It’s obvious Bucky and Steve had built there own family of misfits when they woke up. Nat carries in the plates and cutlery for Peter and Spot to wash so quite as she moves it’s as scary as Bucky popping up out of nowhere.

[brooklynishere]

"Maybe they's right, I mean you're pretty smart, you could probably do that stuff in your sleep." Spot points out casually, nudging Peter with his shoulder.

He rolls his eyes at Steve's deal, but it's a mark of how much he wants to spend more time with Peter (even doing the dishes) that he doesn't actually complain or protest, shoving himself to his feet and moving towards the kitchen. Though he does shoot a cheeky "Snitches get stitches, pop." over his shoulder as he goes.

He makes it to the kitchen before realising that's the first time he's called Steve that to his face, and he's done it in front of all their friends as well. So he's just going to silently worry about whether or not it's okay while he does the dishes.

[not_a_commie]

“They didn’t convict me for treason, for breaking Bucky out of jail. They’re not gonna convict me for ratting Peter our. He could build new gear out of that thing.” Steve smiles his heart melting a little. No one in this room would call Sean on any of it. Save for Dr. Strange they’d either watched their parents die horribly (Clint, Matt, Bruce) love had wonderful parents and lost them early on, (Bucky and Steve) Natasha didn’t even know hers or if she had any. She says something to Steve in French that makes him smile, and silently leaves the house.

“Yeah Spot.” Clint sorts “Peter’s lucky he’s not doing 20 in The Raft, for what happened.”

“He’s a minor he would have only gotten 10-15... but he had the best lawyer in Hell’s Kitchen.” Matt’s smirks

“New York.” Clint and Steve correct.

Steve squeezes Spot’s shoulder before walking everyone to the door. Lucky trots up looking at the paper bag of left over cooked burger patties, licks spots hand and grabs the bag off the counter and trots off yipping after Clint and Matt.

[brooklynishere]

Spot just lets the banter wash over him with a smile on his face. It's not quite the gang he had for himself, and sure they're all adults, but there's a weird kind of belonging all the same and it makes him feel actually kind of normal for a bit - despite the actual subject matter of their jokes.

He calls a goodbye to everybody, taking a moment to give Lucky another head-ruffle and laugh as the dog takes the leftovers, and settles in to finish up the dishes with Peter, and if he keeps sneaking sidelong glances at the other boy while they work that's neither here nor there.

It ends up being a really nice day, and night, they get their homework finishes and Peter teaches him to play some more video games and it's all so far from what his life used to be, but for a little while at least he wouldn't trade it for the world.

He ends up with about two hundred pictures on his phone by the time he goes to bed.

He finally admits that he needs help with Chemistry and Peter ends up coming over at least one night a week to work on homework together, Spot spends most of the time trying - unsuccessfully - to work out how Peter feels about him. And taking pictures, a lot of pictures.

Everything seems to be going fine, until a few weeks later when Bucky gets a call in the middle of the day asking if he could come down to the school because Spot's been in a pretty serious fight and he's in a lot of trouble.

[not_a_commie]

Bucky was in a meeting with the other Avengers minus Peter. About some odd events that have been picking up. Most of them seemingly connected to AIM.

He comes into the school in his uniform and heads toward the office and sees the nurse looking at Spot’s face and he can tell the kid’s nose is broken. He looks at the kid as he goes in to talk to the principal.

It’s a long talk he mixes defending Spot with agree with the principle, he talks the guy down to a one day suspension.

He comes back and sits on the bench next to Spot, “Looks like you got your ass handed to you.” He says patting Spot on the shoulder, but looking disappointed, so disappointed. “You’re grounded by the way.” He adds, “after we go get your nose set.”

[brooklynishere]

Spot's face is pretty much like thunder, it's not exactly the first time he's been in trouble for something he didn't think was his fault, but that doesn't mean he hates it any less. Especially given that the fuckers broke his nose.

"You should see the other guys." he shoots back when Bucky sits down. He can see the disappointment in Bucky's expression and it crushes him, he's not used to caring so much what somebody else thinks but he cares what Bucky thinks, he cares a lot.

"They fuckin' started it," he protests, glaring down at the ground.

[not_a_commie]

“You can tell me what happened in the car.” He says shaking his head. “How did they start it?” He asks leading Spot away from the school, “If they are gonna kill you, you just gotta walk away. You’re pop and I have always been bad at it.” He muses, “but you can’t go trying to bust the crap out of anyone who makes you angry.” He starts the car.

“They suspended you was supposed to be the rest of the week, but talked them down to just tomorrow.”

[brooklynishere]

Spot glances sidelong at Bucky for a moment as he trails after him towards the car. He wonders if he's asking to make sure his story matches what Bucky's been told, or if the principal neglected to mention what had actually started all of this.

Once he's sat down in the car he takes a breath and launches into the story, figuring he may as well tell the whole thing just to make sure Bucky actually heard his side, on the offchance the principal hasn't been entirely honest.

"The guy was botherin' Peter, talkin' shit, I told him to back off but he wasn't listening. Then he called Peter a f*g so I punched him. Woulda soaked him good if his buddies hadn't jumped in."

He'd still done pretty well. Even without his cane, even on his own, he might have a broken nose but he wasn't the only one, and there were plenty of black eyes and bruises dealt out. He'd fought.. well, he'd fought better than he ever had before, with moves he didn't even know he had. That part? That part scared him a little.

[not_a_commie]

“Peter is very capable of taking care of himself.” Bucky points out, but he probably would have done the same for Steve way back then. “You can’t just go getting in fights, you’re lucky they didn’t just totally kick you out.” He says pulling into the ER parking lot. “I get it tho, but one week home by 330, no hanging out with Peter after school, and you’ll hand over the phone when you get home.” He pauses, “you can call him if you need help in the science homework.”

God he feels old, but they don’t know what they did to the kid while he was in cryo, so he can’t let him just go getting into fights. “We’re gonna have a talk when we get home, shoulda had it awhile ago.” He scrubs his metal hand down his face.

[brooklynishere]

"Yea well I don't care, and I'd do it again." he says stubbornly, climbing out of the car. He's in pain and he's angry and there's blood on his favourite shirt and he hates that he's disappointed Bucky, but he isn't backing down on this point. Asshole deserved to get punched and as far as Spot's concerned that's that.

He didn't mean to start such a big fight, admittedly, but he wasn't about to back down just because some other guys decided to get involved.

"Talk about what?" that catches his attention, wondering what about this would need to wait until they got home.

[not_a_commie]

Bucky would tell Spot not to worry about the blood on his shirt, he's gotten really good at getting the blood out of clothes.

"I know he probably did, but who's the one with the broken nose and grounded for next week?" He asks the warmth coming back into his voice as he shakes his head.

He's brought Spot to the center at The Avengers base, Steve is talking with girl and boy a few years older then spot, one with stark white hair, and the girl has flaming red hair.

"About your time on ice." He says easily. He takes him into medical, Bruce is waiting for them.

[brooklynishere]

"Well, he's got a broken nose too," Spot admits smugly "I don't know if he got in any trouble, though."

Since Spot had been the one to throw the first punch, and all the other guys banded together to claim he'd just gone crazy and they'd been trying to pull him off (which was bullshit, they'd been trying to beat the crap out of him, he'd just turned out to be better at it than they were. If there hadn't been quite so many of them, he probably would've won.)

His gaze is curious, drawn to the boy and girl talking to Steve, but he doesn't say anything - he doesn't want Steve's attention on him right now, not until he's come to terms with one parent's disappointment.

Bucky's explanation doesn't make much sense, what had his time on ice got to do with getting in fights now? Still, he knows the conversation is coming so he just takes a seat when Bruce asks him and lets his nose be inspected.

[not_a_commie]

Bruce sets his nose, and cleans the blood off Spot’s face. “He’s gonna bruise up pretty bad.”

“Stephen‘s here said he could give him the first round of vaccines.” Bruce says to Bucky. “Also that blood draw you called about.”

“Alright send him in so we can’t get it taken care of and get home.” Bucky looks at Spot. “After this we’ll pick up lunch and have that talk.”

[brooklynishere]

"'ve had bruises before," Spot mutters, though he was pretty sure probably not as bad as the ones that were already beginning to flourish across his face, and the rest of him. He wonders if he could convince Bucky to buy him a new cane...probably not. Definitely not.

And then to add insult to injury they apparently wanted to poke him full of needles as well.

"Come on," he protests "Haven't I been beaten up enough for one day?"

Besides, now he really wants to know what this talk is going to be about, he'd rather not wait around getting his shots.

[not_a_commie]

“It’s important stuff, don’t want to get sick.” He says sitting on a stool, “had to give steve a bunch of stuff when they pulled him out.”

Stephen gives Spot two shots, “You can come back in three months for the next batch.” He says to Spot, “I’m going to take some blood too.” He’s using his magic to do the whole thing.

“I’ll call you in couple days when Bruce and I check things out.” Stephen says.

He leaves Spot and Bucky alone.

“Let’s get some lunch and talk.” Bucky says easily.

[brooklynishere]

Spot shoves his hands in his pockets, trailing after Bucky with a scowl on his face.

"Why did he take blood as well?" he asks after a few minutes, he's been puzzling over that one and he can't figure out what they might be testing for, but now he's wondering if it has something to do with what they're about to have a conversation about.

[not_a_commie]

Bucky waits until they are in the car, “about what happened when they kidnapped you.” He says honestly, “to see if they tried to make you like me.” He says letting out a slow breath.

“I’m not mad at you, but you can’t fight kids... well maybe Peter... he’d probably win.” Bucky says trying to lighten the mood. “What do you want for lunch? We’ll head home get you cleaned up, and talk.”

[brooklynishere]

"If they made me like you, wouldn't I have done a lot better in that fight?" Spot pointed out, but at the same time the thought lingers, and he wonders at how well he was holding his own. He lost, sure, but he should have been pummelled into the ground by that many guys...

He shrugs at the question, mind wandering to Peter since Bucky brought him up. He hated that Peter saw him getting his ass kicked, but he had looked kind of impressed when Spot punched the guy to begin with, and he could work with that...

"Burritos?" he suggests absently