29: la fin des haricots : it's the end [literal : the end of the beans]
It was strange to think that a little over a year ago, the house had been quiet. When Lola had first moved in, she had decorated it to her heart's content, but, it had always felt a little cold and empty. Now, it was home to a small family and filled with all the hubbub that one might expect with a newborn baby. There was a box of toys in the living room, baby blankets strewn over the back of the couch and a moses basket carefully placed amongst the furniture. A pram sat proudly in the hallway, and there was already a highchair in the dining room, waiting and ready to be used.
The day Hope Barnes had come home was seared into Lola's memory forever. She had carefully carried the sleeping baby through the front door, Bucky bringing up the rear as he tried not to drown under the weight of the overnight bags and the car seat. The new parents had choked down a quick meal of macaroni and cheese, knowing that they should try and get some rest whilst Hope napped, yet instead, they found themselves standing over the crib and watching their darling daughter sleep.
Eventually, they had settled into a routine. It had taken Lola a little longer than Bucky, but, she remembered one day when Hope had been about two weeks old. Bucky had gone to take a shower a rare luxury, of course, leaving mother and daughter alone in the nursery. All had been well, until Hope's eyes had bulged and her body trembled as she emitted a foreign sound. Lola had panicked, screaming Bucky's name until he came running back into the room, stark naked and with shampoo still in his hair. Lola pointed at the baby, crying as she stammered out there was something wrong. Bucky had collapsed against the door and looked back at her with such softness, before pointing out that Hope was not having seizures. She had the hiccups.
Lola knew she was never going to live it down, but, she didn't care. Hope was alright and that was all that mattered to her. She soon gained confidence enough to be alone with the baby, and Bucky went back to work part-time. It was the best part of the day when he returned, his face beaming as he greeted Lola with a kiss before picking Hope up and showering her with kisses, too. Lola never thought she would be one for the quiet family life, but with each passing day she felt her love for her husband and daughter grow.
Not that it didn't have its moments. She seemed to run on pure adrenaline most days, motherhood surpassing the tiredness she felt ninety percent of the time. For the most part, Hope was a good baby. She only woke up a couple of times in the night, napped for most of the day and when she was awake, she would lay in her bouncer, cooing softly at the animal mobile she was mesmerised by.
Bucky and Lola hadn't really had much time to themselves, most of their waking moments consumed by their daughter. They stole kisses in the morning and before bed, shared a cup of coffee when Jarvis tended to the baby and napped together, her back pressed to his chest and his arms encircling her. Lola had been given the all-clear by Doctor Strange two weeks ago, but, every time the couple tried to steal a moment together, something managed to get in the way.
At first, they had tried the romantic approach as Lola had been very nervous. By the time she felt confident enough to take her dress off, Hope had woken up screaming at the top of her lungs. Once, they tried to kill two birds with one stone and showered together. No sooner had Lola's lips wrapped around Bucky, Jarvis had yelled that Hope was smiling for the first time and neither parent had wanted to miss that. One afternoon, they had abandoned an episode of Sex and the City, hands wandering and giggling like teenagers. That was, until the doorbell rang and they had to scrabble to pull their clothes on again. It was practically impossible.
One night, Lola rolled over in bed, her hands reaching out for Bucky. She felt cold, as she often did when Bucky migrated to the other end of their bed. Her hands grasped at the bedsheets, trying to reach for him. Eyes snapping open, she found he wasn't there, and Hope wasn't in her crib either. Heart thumping, she threw the duvet off and went in search of them. Lola tiptoed down the stairs, careful to avoid the spots she knew would creak loudly. Following the little glimmer of light towards the kitchen, she peeked through the doorway and stopped in her tracks.
Bucky stood in the kitchen clad only in a pair of pyjama pants, Hope nestled safely in the crook of his arm as he heated up her bottle. It was heartwarming and downright cute, the way little Hope seemed even smaller against Bucky's wide chest. He was whispering in the soft tone he reserved for his daughter, rocking her slowly as she stretched her little legs and let out a whine.
"I know, baby girl." he cooed. "Your milk's almost ready, alright?"
Hope settled down once he raised the bottle to her lips, and Bucky chuckled. Lola peered around the doorframe, smiling to herself as she watched him feed her.
"You must be real hungry, huh?" he said to Hope. "Good thing your Ma gets bottles ready before bed. Don't wanna wake her, do we?"
Hope continue to guzzle down the milk, and Bucky gently pulled the bottle back, making her pout, her bottom lip trembling. He sighed and raised the bottle again.
"Not so fast, baby girl. You'll make yourself sick, and then we really will wake your mamma."
Hope gurgled at him, and Bucky continued to babble at her. Lola could physically feel her heart bursting with love at the tender scene unfolding in front of her. It was simply so precious, and there was something so beautiful about Bucky in father mode. If her ovaries could talk, they would be begging him for another baby. Seeing that Hope was most certainly in the safest hands, she slunk back to bed, where she fell asleep content with the knowledge that Bucky would be back soon.
Hope refused to go back to sleep. Bucky wasn't entirely sure why, as she wasn't fussing or crying whatsoever. And so, he lay back down in bed, the baby cradled on his chest. She lay curled on her front, lifting her head experimentally as she stared up at her father. Her tiny little gurgle brought the biggest smile to his face.
"Ssh, baby girl, you're gonna wake your Ma." he whispered. "And she needs her sleep."
Hope kept her eyes on him, relaxing under his touch as he ran a hand through her baby soft hair. It was as dark as his, and he chuckled under his breath at the memory of the first time Hope had trapped his own hair in her little fist, tugging so hard she made his eyes water. He'd chopped his hair off after that, but regretted it instantly when Hope didn't seem to recognise him, her bottom lip trembling as she burst into tears until Lola soothed her to sleep.
"You know, she'll get real mad at me if she finds out I let you stay up late." he continued, Hope's mouth open in the perfect little 'o'.
"She wouldn't be mad at you. Not when you're so cute. Look at you, with your little fingers and toes."
Bucky let his fingers ghost over Hope's toes and she let out the smallest of giggles. Bucky gasped, feeling affection bloom in his chest. Hope offered her father a gummy smile, giggling again and he thought he was going to cry.
"Baby girl, did you just laugh?" he whispered excitedly, tickling her toes to elicit the sweet sound again.
Hope's giggle was undoubtedly the cutest sound Bucky had ever heard, and he scooped her up in his arms, pressing a kiss to her cheek. She yawned, chubby little fingers pressed to his chest as she tried desperately to keep her eyes open. Bucky smiled down at her.
"No, no, it's your bedtime now. C'mon, one final cuddle and then I'm cuddlin' with your Ma."
Seemingly content, Hope didn't object when Bucky placed her back in the crib. He tucked the blanket around her and whispered 'I love you' before slipping back under the covers and wrapping his arms around Lola, who mumbled something unintelligible. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, a wave of love for the mother of his child. He felt so lucky to be with her, and maybe he didn't tell her that enough, but he pulled her closer anyway, hoping she knew.
When Bucky walked into the kitchen the next morning, he found Hope awake and strapped in her bouncer, kicking her little legs as she tried to grab the squishy lion dangling from the mobile. He stooped down and kissed her on the head, tickling her under her chin, earning himself another one of the giggles that had warmed his heart last night.
"Mornin', baby girl." he cooed. "Where's your mamma?"
"Now, that's a nice view." smarmed Lola's voice, and Bucky straightened up to see her right behind him and ogling his backside.
"Mornin' sweetheart." blushed Bucky.
"Good morning to you too, love." she giggled, stretching on her tiptoes to kiss him. "Here, I made you coffee. Breakfast will be ready in a minute."
"Today's 'sposed to be your day." said Bucky pointedly, taking the mug from her hands.
"Mm, and I can't wait to spend all day in the spa." she squealed. "I'm going to get my hair cut, my nails done, a massage or two… anyway, I thought breakfast was the least I could do for you."
"You take real good care of us." grinned Bucky, pecking her lips. "Doesn't she, Hope?"
"Are you sure you'll be okay watching her?" asked Lola, brows furrowed.
"You kiddin'? We're gonna have the best day ever."
"Hm, well, try not to have too much fun without me." winked Lola.
"We make no promises, right, baby girl?"
"And speaking of fun," smirked Lola, stepping close to him and running a hand down his chest. "I thought tonight we could order Chinese, watch a film… cuddle. Just the two of us."
"Yeah?" grinned Bucky, perking up. "You think tonight we'll finally get to cuddle?"
"I would cuddle you right here right now if I could."
"That's just gross." came a voice, and Bucky jumped, almost knocking over his coffee.
Natasha and Peggy stood in the doorway, arms crossed. Bucky turned a deep shade of pink, as Lola sighed in annoyance.
"Natasha!"
"Don't get annoyed at me. I'm doing Hope a favour here." argued Natasha. "I'm pretty sure she doesn't want to see you two cuddling."
"Interesting choice of vocabulary. I applaud you for ingenuity." chimed Peggy, crouching to shake Hope's chubby fist.
"Tonight." promised Lola, unwrapping her arms from around Bucky.
"Tonight."
Bucky had the whole day planned out by the time he finished his breakfast. He fed Hope, burped her and settled her down for her morning nap as he got her bag ready. It was a nice sunny day, and he thought they could start off with a nice walk in the park. Just as he zipped the baby bag up, his phone rang and seeing it was Ego, he answered.
"Hello?"
"Bucky, hello. I'm sorry to call you on your day off."
"That's alright." said Bucky, peeking at Hope to make sure she was still asleep. "Everythin' okay?"
"Actually no, I've had a family emergency and I really can't get out of it."
"Oh, I hope everything's alright."
"I'm sure it will be. Anyway, it's the first day of the new academic year and it's too late to cancel class. I'm sorry to spring this on you, but I really need you to cover."
"Oh."
"That won't be a problem, will it?"
Bucky looked down at Hope snoozing away in the Moses basket.
"Not a problem at all."
Famous last words, Bucky thought to himself, as he ran into the lecture hall. In one hand, he held the baby carrier, Hope sleeping inside it. The baby bag swung from his other shoulder, his backpack thumped him incessantly and he had a folder clutched in his spare hand, papers precariously stacked inside it.
"I'm here, I'm here!" he called. "Sorry I'm late!"
The students who had been chatting amongst themselves looked up, some amused and some confused by the sight of their supposed tutor standing by the podium, a baby by his feet as he clutched his ribs, desperately trying to catch his breath. A couple of the girls squealed, nudging each other and whispering about the 'hot professor' and how he was 'cuter with a baby'. Now blushing madly, he exhaled and explained the predicament, before pulling out the list of names and reading them out so he could mark who was present.
It was halfway through the lecture, when he was explaining the examination process that Hope woke up. She looked around curiously at the unfamiliar surroundings and upon deciding she didn't like them, began to cry.
"There is an essay you will- " Bucky broke off, turning his attention to his daughter. "Uh, sorry. One moment."
Bucky reached out a foot and rocked the carrier to and fro, continuing with the introductory lecture as Hope began to quieten down. The girls in the second row cooed at him and he smiled awkwardly back at them.
"As I was sayin', there's an essay you will have to submit at the end of each term. They're only two thousand five hundred words, which may seem like a lot right now, but you'll quickly find that you need to be a lot more concise."
Hope looked up at Bucky, wriggling beneath her blanket and began to wail louder. Bucky looked at his students apologetically, before bending down and scooping the baby into his arms. The girls squealed, hands clasped to their chest and Bucky cleared his throat pointedly.
"Shush, baby girl, it's okay, daddy's right here." he whispered, swaying back and forth.
Hope gurgled and nuzzled into his chest, clutching his shirt in her little fist. Relieved, Bucky resumed his lecture, still swaying on the spot. He felt a little silly, but, the second he stilled, Hope would fuss again so he continued his little dance and prayed to God that no-one else would witness this lecture.
"Aside from those essays, there is also an exam at the end of the year. It doesn't count towards anythin', it's just so we can gauge how you've progressed."
Hope whined, unappreciative that her father's attention was not solely focused on her. Bucky sighed and looked down at his little girl with a pout.
"I'm sorry, Hope. Daddy's talkin' to these guys right now. We'll talk later, alright, baby girl?"
There was an outburst from one of the girls, and Bucky jerked up to see her bright red in the face with embarrassment, whilst all the other girls stared at him with sugary smiles and keen eyes.
"I, uh, that's not part of the lecture." he clarified, feeling his cheeks heat up.
There was a collective groan of disappointment and Bucky decided to end the lecture early that day.
Hope was much more pleased as Bucky walked to the next class, the baby clutched in his arms instead of in her carrier. She let him know she was happy, gurgling and giggling, her little hat almost falling over her eyes.
"You're a whole lotta trouble, you know that, Hope?" chuckled Bucky. "Just like your Ma."
Hope giggled, as Mantis approached, cooing at the baby.
"Hey, Mantis." greeted Bucky, as Hope eyed the new face curiously.
"Hello, Bucky." smiled Mantis. "I didn't know you were bringing the baby."
"Yeah, sorry. I couldn't find anyone to take care o' her."
"Oh, it's okay. I think it's very good for her to be exposed to the human life form from such a young age."
"I'm sorry, what?" blinked Bucky.
"It's life drawing today." stated Mantis. "Didn't you check the timetable?"
Bucky scowled as he began to prepare for that particular class. He tried desperately to get Hope to fall asleep, but, she was far too excitable, clawing at her father's shirt to try and get his attention as he thundered around preparing for the class, muttering about 'fucking Greg' and 'his saggy balls'.
Seeing as he was distracted, Hope decided she was hungry, wailing until Bucky heated up a bottle and sat down on the dais, still frowning about Greg as he fed her.
"No men 'til you're married." he warned. "You hear that, Hope? Not that Greg is worth gettin' excited over."
Hope merely stared back at him, far too invested in the bottle of milk to care about Bucky's ramblings.
"You gonna fall asleep now, baby girl?" he pleaded, holding her against his chest to burp her. "Go to sleep for daddy."
Hope didn't want to go to sleep. What she wanted to do was return her lunch, all over Bucky's front. Gritting his teeth, he pulled her back, pursing his lips at her gummy smile as she giggled.
"You make it real hard to be mad at you, you know that, baby girl?" sighed Bucky, examining the sticky baby sick all over his shirt and her dungarees.
"What am I gonna do now, huh?" he babbled, lying her down on the dais and peeling off her dungarees. "'S alright for you, you got somethin' to change into. What's daddy meant to wear?"
Bucky mopped up the mess Hope had made, shoving her dirty dungarees into a plastic bag and carefully pulling a dress over her. He attacked the stain on his shirt with a damp rag, but the damage was already done, the smell of curdled milk far too potent to ignore.
"I hope you're happy with yourself, Hope." tutted Bucky, taking his shirt off.
Hope's bottom lip trembled, and Bucky froze.
"No, no, don't cry."
Tears filled Hope's blue eyes and Bucky thought his heart was going to break as he quickly picked her up as her cries rang through the air.
"No, don't cry, baby girl." he soothed, guilt-ridden. "Daddy's not mad at you, I promise. Please don't cry. Oh God, I made you cry!"
Bucky thought he was going to cry, too, as he picked up Leo the Lion, Hope's favourite toy, giving him a funny voice and making him dance until she quietened down, blinking away the last of her tears.
"I'm so sorry, baby girl, I didn't mean to make you cry." he sniffed, hugging her close. "I love you so much."
"Are we drawing you today?" squeaked Mantis excitedly, appearing in the doorway, students peering over her shoulder.
"What? No!" cried Bucky, a red flush creeping up his neck. "No, uh, no. Naked… no. I have my daughter, uh, even so, no."
"Oh, but you already have your shirt off!" insisted Mantis, steering him back towards the dais. "Just sit like this."
"But, but, Hope- "
"It will give the students an extra challenge." said Mantis eagerly, ushering everyone in.
Bucky was sure his entire body was aflame with mortification. He sat there on the dais in just his jeans, Hope gurgling in his arms, as students filled the room and sharpened their pencils.
"You and your mamma sure know how to get me in trouble, baby girl."
It was an enormous relief to be home. Bucky was so exhausted, even his brain hurt. He hoped it would be quite some time before the next take your daughter to work today. Thankfully, Hope had fallen asleep on the way home, wiped out from the most adventurous day in the entire three months of her life. She remained asleep when she was laid out in her crib, her tired father breathing a sigh of relief as he tiptoed out the room.
Intent on making a hot cup of coffee that he actually got to enjoy, Bucky had raised the cup to his lips, drinking the elixir and humming as he felt a little more alive, when he heard Hope's cries flow from the baby monitor.
Bucky went running into the room at full pelt, heart paining with the sounds of Hope's cries. She wriggled under her blanket and he clucked softly, picking her up and then almost dropping her when he discovered the reason for her discomfort.
"Oh good God, what did you do?" he gagged, as the doorbell rang.
Cursing, and then apologising to the baby for his foul language, Bucky hurtled towards the front door, Hope still squirming as Steve and Sam stood on the front step. Their smiles turned into grimaces when they took in the sight before them. A horrified Bucky held Hope at arm's length, brown stains all over her clothes and fingers.
"Is that… poop?" asked Steve, pinching his nose.
"I need your help!" Bucky all but begged.
"Oh, hell no!" refused Sam, holding a hand over his mouth. "You're her father! I didn't sign up for this!"
"Please!" cried a desperate Bucky; Steve and Sam exchanged a glance.
"Alright." relented Steve, and Bucky almost wept with relief. "Troops, let's move in."
Five minutes later, the three men stood in the middle of Hope's nursery. Bucky still held the baby at arm's length, her soiled clothes now clasped in a pair of kitchen tongs that Steve wielded. Sam held a packet of baby wipes in one hand, and baby powder in the other. All three men had clothes pegs on their noses, bespectacled with safety goggles and wearing yellow rubber washing up gloves.
Hope squirmed, unsure if she was delighted by the presence of her uncles or uncomfortable to be a part of such a military operation.
"Bucky, I really hope she's not going to pee all over the carpet." squeaked Steve, jerking his arm.
"Man, get that away from me!" spluttered Sam, as the dirty clothes hit him in the face.
"What the bloody hell is going on in here?"
The three men turned around to see Lola and Peggy standing in the doorway. Bucky lowered Hope.
"I have never been so glad to see you, sweetheart." he sighed with relief. "The baby exploded! I didn't know what to do!"
"I'm sorry I ruined date night."
Lola looked up from her chicken wonton soup with a frown. Bucky was poking at his kung pao chicken dejectedly, and she couldn't hold back her smile. He looked so cute and fluffy, with his grey t-shirt, matching sweatpants and stripy socks. It made quite the contrast to her black jeans and floaty blouse. Not that she minded, she simply felt more alive and put together that day than she had in the last three months combined and she wasn't about to change or remove her make-up just yet, even if they were spending the evening eating Chinese food and pretending to watch a rom-com.
"You didn't ruin anything, love." reassured Lola, snuggling into his side. "You should have called me, though. I can't imagine how stressful today must have been for you."
"I know," sighed Bucky, as she laid her head on his shoulder. "I didn't want you to worry, you've been real tired and you deserved to have a day to relax."
"Hm, well, I won't deny I had a lovely time." she grinned guiltily.
"You look lovely, too. I like your hair."
"Really?" she asked, scrunching her nose. "You don't think it's too… practical mummy?"
"Definitely not." he affirmed, shaking his head. "More like... yummy mummy."
Lola giggled at his stab at an English accent and tilted her head up to kiss him, her thumb running across his tired smile. He always was so cute when he was sleepy, with his dazed eyes and husky voice.
"Come on," she ordered, putting down her chopsticks and picking up the baby monitor. "Go upstairs and take your clothes off."
"Uh, sweetheart, I know it's date night," he blushed, rubbing the back of his neck and looking apologetic. "But, I don't think I'm up for… cuddlin'."
"Relax, love." she soothed. "I thought you could do with a massage. I can't promise I'm as good as the Swedish gentleman who massaged me today- "
"Some Swedish man had his hands on you?" growled Bucky, standing up. "You know, I feel fine now. You wanna cuddle? We can cuddle right here on this coffee table."
"Alright, caveman. Calm down." scoffed Lola, rolling her eyes. "Bed. Clothes off. Now. And no funny ideas."
Bucky opened his mouth to reply with something flirtatious, but, a yawn escaped instead and he huffed defeatedly, pouting as he made his way upstairs while Lola cleared up the remains of their dinner. When she entered their bedroom, she held a hand over her mouth, stifling a giggle. He looked so rugged, naked like that, but equally so… soft and sweet, lying on his front, one hand under his cheek and she wondered if she should cover him with a blanket and let him sleep until he opened one eye.
"I can feel you starin'." he mumbled into the mattress.
"Can you blame me?" she retorted, and his cheeks turned pink.
"You don't have to do this." he called, as she rifled in the bathroom cabinet for the massage oil she'd been gifted.
Bucky was still rambling, sweetly insisting that she must be tired, too. He lost his train of thought when Lola reappeared wearing a satin slip and holding a bottle of oil in her hand. She smirked knowingly at him and sauntered over, straddling his lower back, smirking wider when she heard his intake of breath as she draped herself across him, her breath tickling his ear.
"If you want to go to sleep, we can."
"No, uh, I just wanted to make sure you weren't tired." he stammered back, breath coming out ragged.
"Mm hm," hummed Lola, delicately placing her palms on the middle of his back and feeling him stiffen. "And what I'm wearing has absolutely nothing to do with it?"
"No." he replied all too quickly, as her fingers began to knead at his muscles.
"You don't like it?" she teased, Bucky groaning as she worked out a knot. "I bought it especially for tonight."
"No, I mean, you look- oh my God."
Bucky groaned again as she moved up to his shoulders, rubbing at the muscles in small circles. Lola had to bite back a moan, the growls falling from Bucky's lips sent shivers down her spine and his muscles flexed under her touch. She knew he was tired, but this was pure torture. A naked and oiled Bucky lying under her was, simply put, pornographic and all she could do was desperately try to stop her mind from wandering off.
"Does that feel okay, love?"
"You feel amazin'." he hissed. "Your fingers! Your fingers feel amazing. Oh God, that doesn't sound any better."
"You know, it's really cute that you still get all flustered even though we're married." she giggled.
"I don't think I'll ever stop gettin' flustered when my beautiful, half-naked wife is on top of me." he grinned, making her giggle again.
Bucky stiffened when she leant over again, feeling the soft satin of her slip drag down his back. His eyes flew open, observing her tensely as she dotted kisses over his neck and shoulders.
"There, you're all done." she whispered, sliding off to lay beside him.
Bucky gulped as she propped herself up on one elbow.
"Feeling relaxed now, love?" she smiled innocently. "Come on, it's late, we should get to bed."
"A-already?" blurted Bucky. "It's only ten."
"I know, but you must be so exhausted after today." she simpered, tugging at the duvet and drawing up over them. "You did say you were too tired."
"Yeah, I did say that." said Bucky, jaw clenched as she turned the lamp off.
Lola shuffled along the bed until she had her face in his neck and her palms pressed to his chest, faking a yawn as she nuzzled into his skin.
"Good night, love."
"Yeah, right."
It was a far cry from a traditional wedding dress, but, that was what made it all the more perfect. Nothing about their relationship had ever been conventional, so why should the wedding details be? Lola had surprised most people when she insisted that she didn't want a lavish affair, merely something sweet and simple. The day was supposed to be a celebration of the bride and groom, she didn't want their family and friends running around stressfully, chasing after caterers and photographers. Something sweet and simple that reflected the couple, that was what she had said.
Rebecca had been thrilled by the prospect of designing and making Lola's wedding dress. After all, Vera Wang was the first choice for most brides, but Lola had fallen in love the second she saw her sister-in-law's sketch. Standing in front of the mirror and looking at herself in it for the first-time, Lola couldn't believe it had really come to this.
The dress was a bohemian style and consisted of two pieces; a peony skirt, layers upon layers of blush coloured tulle and satin draped from the waist down that wouldn't have looked out of place in a Jane Austen novel; and on top, a matching peony blouse fashioned from satin and embroidered with an intricate floral design, an off-white vest visible just beneath.
"Oh my God." grinned Natasha.
"Wow." gasped Peggy.
"What do you think?" asked Rebecca, fingers wrung together nervously.
Lola caught Rebecca's eye in the mirror and smiled, unable to help the excitement rising up inside her like a hot air balloon.
"I love it." she said earnestly. "It's perfect."
Rebecca squealed excitedly and ran forward, checking the seams and various measurements, the tape measure around her neck bouncing as she danced around Lola. She reminded her that they would continue to tailor it until the wedding, so it would be the perfect fit on the big day. (It gave Lola that extra incentive to shift that baby weight.)
"Well?" asked Lola, turning around to face her two friends.
"You look beautiful." replied Natasha instantly.
"You're going to leave your husband rather speechless when he sees you." added Peggy.
"Do you think he'll like it?"
"Who cares?" snorted Rebecca. "As long as you like it, that's all that matters."
The women all giggled and Lola turned back to the mirror, smoothing out the skirt. The wedding was six months away, and now that she had her dress sorted, she couldn't wait. As if on cue, Natasha pulled out the notebook she had purchased in her official capacity as Maid of Honour, flipping to the checklist she had formulated.
"Venue booked?"
"Check."
"Invitations sent?"
"Check."
"Flowers?"
"Check."
"Photographer booked?"
"Check."
"Hair, make-up, nails and facials booked?"
"Check."
"Menu finalised?"
"Check."
"Cake order confirmed?"
"Check."
"What's left to do still?" posed Peggy, sipping her glass of white wine.
"Wedding favours, bridesmaids dresses, a playlist for the DJ, vows, speeches and any final arrangements." reeled off Natasha. "Oh, and Barnes' tux."
"Already taken care of." piped Rebecca.
"You're quite the organiser, aren't you?" noted Peggy, impressed by Natasha's methodical process.
"I have a very specific skill set." said Natasha with an air of mystery. "It's going to be the perfect wedding."
"Lola!"
Lola jumped, as did Natasha, Peggy and Rebecca at the sound of Bucky's voice yelling up the stairs.
"Lola, get down here, now!"
"What is it?" she screamed back, opening the bedroom door a tad. "What's wrong?"
"Get down here, would you? Right now!"
"Bucky! I'm in my dress! I can't, you'll see it!"
"Hope's crawling!"
Lola's heart skipped a beat, and she gasped, frantically scrabbling at her dress.
"C'mon, you're gonna miss it!"
"I'm coming, I'm coming!" she screeched, as Rebecca ran over and helped her out the skirt, the two women uncaring if the pins pricked.
Breathing in relief as she struggled out the top, Lola hurtled down the steps two at a time, skidding to a halt in the living room. The coffee table had been pushed aside, a large, soft rug now in its place. Bucky sat in the centre, cross-legged as he held out his hands.
"C'mon baby girl." he cooed.
Hope slowly dragged herself forward on her hands and knees, gurgling at him. The presence of her mother distracted her, and in her excitement she almost fell face first into the rug, but she recovered in time and looked up at her father, giggling and continuing her crawl forwards again.
"Look at you go!" cried Bucky gleefully, when she finally reached him. "That was great, baby girl!"
"Hope, you're crawling!" sniffed Lola, picking her up and hugging her.
Hope giggled and clapped her hands, making her parents laugh. Lola put her down again, and Hope, clearly delighted with the attention and affection, crawled off again, spotting her favourite stuffed lion at the other end of the rug. Lola's heart was going to burst. It was as if both her pride and heartbreak at Hope growing up were battling each other, and she wasn't sure which was going to win,
"I can't believe she's crawling."
"Gonna have to watch out for her now." chuckled Bucky fondly. "Wait, why are you in your underwear?"
There was a time when Lola had been terrified by the prospect of being left alone with Hope. Now, she looked forward to it. Her fears about dropping the baby on her head, or falling asleep whilst the baby cried; they didn't bother her so much anymore. They were still there, in the back of her head, but, she had grown far more confident as a mother. It was as if she knew when Hope was crying out of hunger as opposed to seeking attention. She could change a diaper like nobody's business and feeding Hope felt as natural as anything.
Lola's favourite part was definitely the cuddling. She loved nothing more than holding Hope in her arms, whether she was reading a book, drinking a cup of coffee, or simply sitting in her favourite armchair and watching Hope snooze away. She always scolded Bucky, for his instinct was always to pick up the baby as soon as he heard her cries, citing that he was spoiling her and needed to stop giving into her demands all the time. But, whenever he was at work, she did the exact same thing. What Bucky didn't know wouldn't hurt him.
"You're just far too cute, aren't you?"
Lola cooed at Hope, sitting down on the couch with the baby cradled in her arms. Secretly, she was very happy to have a girl. Mainly because girls' clothes were just so much prettier than boys'. Hope's wardrobe was filled with so much pink and glitter, a sharp contrast to the bright blue nursery.
"Even though you're growing far too fast, you're still the cutest little baby."
Hope stared back up at her, before letting out her customary whine that Lola instantly recognised as hunger.
"Alright, my lovely, let's get you fed." she cooed, unbuttoning her blouse.
"Dada!"
Lola froze, bra undone and mouth opening and closing like a goldfish.
"What did you just say?" she whispered, not daring to blink in case she had imagined it. "Hope? Did you just say dada?"
"Dada!" cooed Hope, throwing her little arms around.
"You just said your first word! Hope! You're talking!" gasped Lola, the biggest grin on her face. "Can you say it again? Can you say dada?"
Hope repeated the word like it was her favourite song, and Lola squealed, pressing kisses to Hope's chubby cheeks before reaching for her phone to FaceTime Bucky.
"We have to tell dada!"
"Dada!"
"Yes, dada, that's right!" sand Lola. "Bucky! Bucky, you'll never guess what!"
"Hey, sweetheart." he smiled, speaking quickly as his eyes flitted away, seemingly distracted.
"Hope just said her first word!"
"What?" gasped Bucky, eyes darting back. "Oh God, sweetheart, you- "
"Hope, Hope can you say it for daddy? Say dada!"
"Lola- "
"Dada! Come on, lovely, you were saying it just now. Look, who's that on mummy's phone?"
Hope looked at the phone expectantly, squealing when she saw her father's face and immediately making a grab for it.
"Dada!" she screamed happily, bashing her chubby fists at the screen.
"Oh my God, she's talkin'!" cried Bucky, an enormous smile brightening up his whole face. "You're talkin', baby girl!"
Hope continued to chant 'dada' much to the delight of both her parents, until Bucky suddenly seemed to remember something, glancing up at Lola with a grimace on his face, the nervousness seeming to transcend through the phone.
"Uh, sweetheart, I, uh, you know I'm in the middle of a lecture, right now."
"Oh, I'm so sorry! I just got so excited because she said her first real word!" apologised Lola, as Hope continued to babble the one word she knew now.
"That's okay, I guess, I should've, well, you know I'm FaceTiming you from my Mac? The Mac's that connected to the projector?"
"Oh yes, well, hello to all your students!" smiled Lola, waving at the camera.
"No, no, please stop." groaned Bucky, his face growing redder by the second. "You were feedin' Hope, weren't you?"
"I was about to, and then she- oh!" gasped Lola, the realisation dawning on her as she hastily grabbed a blanket to cover her chest with. "Well, I guess your class has seen more of me than they intended to."
"We'd like to see more!" came a muffled voice and Bucky's eyes shot up, narrowing into mere slits as he tried to find the source.
"I'll see you at home, my darling wife." he glowered, ending the call.
Hope whined as Bucky's face disappeared, before remembering she was hungry and she began clammering for her mother's attention.
"Well," proclaimed Lola, looking down at Hope. "You are definitely my daughter."
"Is Bruce joining the boys tonight?" said Lola, wiggling a mascara brush through her lashes.
"Um, no, I don't think so." came Natasha's voice from the bedroom.
Lola blew out the candle she had lit and switched off the bathroom light.
"Why not?" she asked, sitting down on the bed to strap her heels on. "He's more than welcome."
"We broke up." said Natasha, not looking up from her phone.
"What? What happened? Are you alright?" asked Lola worriedly.
"Yeah, of course." replied Natasha, plastering a smile on her face.
"Oh, Nat. I'm so sorry."
"It just wasn't right, you know." shrugged Natasha, but, Lola heard the way her voice broke.
Natasha tried to blink back her tears, her fingers quickly flying to her eyes in an attempt to preserve her make-up.
"Did he do something?"
"Oh, no, he didn't do anything." reassured Natasha. "I broke it off. It was me."
Lola could sense there was more to the story. Natasha was a private person at the best of times, and that was fine, she would always open up when she needed to. But, even Lola could tell this was something big.
"I was with him for the wrong reasons." said Natasha eventually. "I… before you got married, I found out that I couldn't have children."
Lola felt her heart pang for Natasha, and reached out to hold her hand comfortingly.
"The guy I was seeing at the time… he made me feel like I was a monster because of it, like I was less of a woman." continued Natasha, looking down at her lap. "I didn't really cope with it. I think that's why I reacted so badly when you told me you were pregnant."
Natasha dared to glance up, guilt written all over her face, but Lola sat patiently, nodding to show that she was listening. Inside, she felt more like Natasha looked, but, she kept it at bay in a bid to be strong for her best friend.
"For the longest time, you weren't even sure if you wanted children. Then, all of a sudden you got pregnant without even trying. It felt so unfair."
Lola felt her own guilt rise, hoping that Natasha had never taken any of her pregnancy rants to heart.
"After Hope was born, Bruce kept wanting to talk about our future and I kept pushing it aside because I knew the conversation about kids would be inevitable. We kept fighting about it, and then last month, I couldn't take it any more and told him the truth."
"If Bruce so much as- "
"No." said Natasha firmly. "No, he was more understanding than I could have hoped for. We talked about it for hours."
"But then, why break up with him?"
Natasha smiled softly.
"I need to accept the reality of my situation. I can't expect someone else to love me when I don't love myself."
It was such a mature response, not that Lola would have expected anything less from Natasha Romanoff. She was a little lost for words, not wanting to pity her best friend unnecessarily or say something that demoralised her.
"I can't imagine what it's like for you." she admitted, brows furrowed. "I understand why you didn't want to say anything, and I'm sorry if I made you feel like you had to go through it alone. But, Nat? You are worth more than your ability to procreate."
Natasha flashed her a fleeting smile.
"You are strong, smart and confident. If I ever got into a street fight you're the first person I'd call because goodness knows how you can make a man quake in his boots. And all of those things make you more of a woman than whether you can have children or not."
Natasha nodded, tears welling up in her green eyes.
"I know." she croaked. "It's just taking me a little longer to believe it. I see how happy you are with Hope, and it's hard now I know that option has been taken away from me."
"You are worth more than that." insisted Lola, feeling tears fill in her own eyes. "And I will remind you of that every day. And so will Hope, every time you babysit and she pukes on your French Connection couch."
Natasha giggled and wiped her eyes.
"Thank you for not just giving me the whole 'you have other options, you can adopt' speech."
"Well, I thought offering you the chance to babysit Hope more was more beneficial to me."
Natasha snorted and accepted the tissue Lola handed her.
"We don't have to go out." suggested Lola, wiping her eyes, too. "We could stay in, make popcorn, drink far too much wine."
"No, it's your bachelorette party!" cried Natasha. "I have been dying for us to have one more night as our former party girls."
"Then we'd better get going."
Lipstick touched up and hair sufficiently tousled, the two women made their way downstairs where Peggy was waiting for them. Bucky, Steve and Sam were all sitting on the couch drinking beers, all deep in conversation. Sam's chuckle died away as Lola and Natasha approached, and Bucky swivelled around, choking on his beer. Steve thumped him on the back and he promptly turned as red as Peggy's lipstick.
"Are you alright, love?"
"That's what you're wearin'?" blurted Bucky, completely ignoring her question.
"What's wrong with it?" asked Lola, looking down at herself.
"Nothin'! I just, you aren't wearin' the dress from earlier." said Bucky hurriedly, shooting Sam a glare when he sniggered.
"Well, yes, that was for afternoon tea." explained Lola. "I can't wear something so formal to a bar."
"Uh, course not."
"Alright, love, spit it out." ordered Lola, crossing her arms.
Their friends excused themselves when Natasha sensed the tension and suggested that they should go call their respective ubers. The couple were left in the middle of their living room, Bucky looking shifty.
"Go on then." urged Lola. "Out with it."
"You look hot."
Lola blinked.
"What?"
"You're hot!" cried Bucky. "Like, I'm gonna come in my pants hot! And if I'm thinkin' that, every guy in a bar will be, too!"
Lola glanced down at her dress. It was rose gold in colour and short in length, with a plunging neckline and a backless fit. She hadn't lost all her baby weight just yet, so her curves were still a little fuller and more pronounced, which was why she had gone for such a daring dress. And as a smug smile crossed her face, she was quite glad she had.
Bucky seemed to be rethinking his choice of words, but, Lola quickly changed his mind when she tugged him forward by his belt loops. He was only wearing a simple pair of dark jeans, a maroon shirt and a black leather jacket, but he somehow made it look ridiculously attractive, and she began to regret the 'no sex before the wedding' rule they'd implemented.
Bucky wasn't given a moment to ponder his options because her lips were already on his, tender at first, and then rougher, as if she wanted to consume him. Her hand grappled at his hair, the other pressed against his firm chest, bringing him closer and he deepened the kiss as if he too, wanted to devour her.
"You are so much fun to kiss." she breathed, pulling away to look at him.
Bucky blushed and cast his eyes down but she only smirked and pressed a light peck to his lips.
"I like kissing you. And I like you kissing me." she said lowly. "I like being the only one who gets to kiss you."
Bucky broke out in a smile, fingers squeezing her hips briefly before skating over her bare back, drawing her closer to him.
"'M sorry, I wasn't tryin' to be all jealous." he mumbled embarrassedly. "I know it's been two years, but, I still sometimes can't believe that this is real."
"Me neither." she admitted, smoothing out his shirt. "So, I just have to have my hands on you. To make sure you're not a mirage, of course."
Bucky chuckled and leaned down for another kiss, only to be interrupted by an incessantly ringing doorbell. No doubt their friends who were growing impatient.
"Alright, love. I'll see you later at Natasha's?"
"Try not to break too many hearts."
"So, why aren't we going to a strip club, tonight?" quizzed Sam.
Bucky idly looked over at his friend, breathing heavily as one Sam turned into two, and then four. He'd lost count of how many drinks he'd consumed by that point. Everyone in the bar seemed to want to buy him one when they heard it was his bachelor party, albeit belated.
"No." he slurred. "No strip clubs."
"It's your bachelor party." emphasised Sam. "It's like a rite of passage."
"Yeah, well, not all of us need to pay for a beautiful woman." snorted Bucky. "Some of us are married to 'em. Right, Steve?"
"Right!" said Steve brightly, eyes glassy from all the beer he had drunk.
"But- "
"No buts!" cried Bucky, yanking his phone out of his pocket. "Look, pal, this is my wife. Why the hell do I wanna go near strippers when I could get this ass when I get home tonight?"
Sam grinned appreciatively, before folding his arms.
"You know what, Barnes. For the sake of your wife, I'm gonna sober you up before we leave for Natasha's. I'm not sure she'd appreciate you sharing the nudes she sent you."
Lola, Natasha and Peggy crashed into the elevator, giggling madly as they linked their arms together and shimmied into the small space. They weren't totally trollied, merely merry and eager for more drinks.
"That's where you live?" gasped Peggy, as Natasha jabbed the button for the penthouse.
"Home sweet home." nodded Natasha.
"Perfect for the afterparty." giggled Lola.
"Yes!" agreed Peggy. "God, you two are so just so cool."
"Why?" snorted Lola. "Because we drink and dance like there's no tomorrow?"
"Yes! Don't get me wrong, I couldn't do it all the time, but it's been so long since I got to just let loose and have fun!" sighed Peggy dreamily.
"Well, tonight's the night." winked Natasha.
The three women giggled their way into Natasha's penthouse, where the men had steadily made their way through several beers. Lola made a beeline for Bucky, looping her arms around his neck and kissing him hotly. Maybe it was the combination of champagne and tequila coursing through her veins, or maybe it was the deep scent of his cologne, but he was so alluring and she was just so happy to see him and be wrapped up in his arms.
"You just can't help yourselves, can you?" cried an outraged Sam, folding his arms.
Lola pulled away guiltily, shooting Sam an apologetic smile. Bucky, on the other hand, was less than impressed and scowled at Sam, before turning back to his wife and pulling her in for another kiss.
"I can tell you're drunk." she giggled, running a hand through the stubble that littered his jawline.
"'M not drunk." he argued, eyes lingering over her dress.
"Yes, you are. Otherwise you'd be a blushing mess right now."
"I'm no more drunk than you, sweetheart."
"Oh, please. I can still hold my liquor better than you."
"Yeah? Wanna bet?" he grinned devilishly.
"Oh, you're on, love." she grinned back smugly. "How do you want to settle this?"
"I was gonna play Sam." said Bucky, motioning at the beer pong laid out on Natasha's dining table. "How 'bout I play you instead?"
"Yes!" cried Natasha, clapping her hands. "Barnes, I hope you know you're going down."
"Oh, he was quite good back in college. I think he might just have her." disagreed Peggy, perching on Steve's lap.
"I'm with Romanoff." chimed Sam, pouring her some vodka.
"Everyone always wanted Bucky on their team for a reason. I'm rooting for him." said Steve, high fiving his best friend.
Bucky held out his arms.
"You sure you wanna do this?" he teased.
"You're going to regret you ever asked." she smirked back, tossing a ping pong ball in the air and catching it easily.
"Not that it matters, but name your prize, sweetheart."
"You have to jump into that pool." she pointed. "Naked."
Natasha burst out laughing, Sam jeering as he rubbed his hands eagerly in the anticipation of watching Bucky meet his doom. Peggy giggled as Steve shook his head, an amused smile offered for Bucky's sake.
"Alright." agreed Bucky. "When you lose, you have to tell us what happened in Budapest."
Lola cocked an eyebrow, as did Natasha, whilst the others simply stared back, confused.
"What happened in Budapest?" asked Sam suspiciously, caught between wanting to know and blissful ignorance.
"That is the million dollar question." smirked Natasha, looping an arm around Lola's waist.
"Am I missing something?" posed Peggy, bright eyes darting between the friends.
"What happened in Budapest?" repeated Sam.
Lola looked at Natasha, and they erupted in a peal of giggles.
"Rest assured, Nat and I had a wonderful time." winked Lola.
"Did you two- ?" gasped Sam, eyes growing wide.
"Yup." confirmed Bucky, hands on his hips. "And they weren't the only ones there."
Sam goggled at the two women whilst Steve turned a furious shade of red, grateful to be half-hidden behind Peggy, who grinned good-naturedly.
"Oh, now I really want Bucky to win." she laughed.
"Yeah, sorry, I'm taking his side now." apologised Sam. "I've gotta hear that story."
The game began with a sly smile exchanged between Lola and Natasha, and it ended in exactly the same way. Bucky might have been the maestro at beer pong back in his college days, and Lola might have hung up her party girl cape, but, she beat him so easily she almost felt embarrassed for him. Or at least, she would have, if he hadn't spent the duration of their game jeering and flirting outrageously with her. It gave her an idea of what drunk, frat boy Bucky must have been like and the only way to deal with someone like that was to beat them at their own game. And she did so with flair and style, pocketing the final ball with a simple flick of her wrist.
The expression on Bucky's face threw her off, though. He bit his lip, his tongue darting out and running along the seam of his lips as he stared back at her with dark eyes, making her wonder if she really had won the game after all. But, she straightened up, jutting her chin out triumphantly. Holding out a finger, she beckoned him outside, ordering him to strip. He grumbled and groaned, but, obeyed nonetheless.
Lola had her hands on her hips when he resurfaced, as she stood by the side of the pool, still standing tall in her strappy high heels. He let his eyes drift over her unabashedly, as he swam towards her.
"You alright there, love?" she smirked, as water trickled down his bare chest. "I told you I would win."
"Who said you'd won?" he grinned cheekily.
Bucky shot up, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her into the water. With a shriek, she toppled in after him, coughing and spluttering when he brought back her up, his arms encircled around her waist.
"Bucky Barnes!" she screeched, sweeping her sopping hair out of her eyes.
"Yeah, sweetheart?" he asked lazily.
"I hate you!" she grumbled, pouting up at him.
"Aw, I love you, too." he laughed heartily, when she pounded her fists at his chest.
"You ruined my dress!"
"Guess you'll just have to take it off." he sighed.
Bucky didn't think she would actually take her dress off, but she did, peeling the wet material off her skin and throwing it aside before encasing herself in his arms once more. He hoped she hadn't heard the way his breath had hitched, or felt the effect she had on him. The coy smile on her face confirmed she had, and she swept his wet hair aside, locking her eyes on his.
And then he couldn't take the tension any more. He crashed his lips down on to hers and she gasped into the kiss, but pulled him closer; her hands curling into fists in his hair. His hands hoisted her up and he held her against him as she wound her legs around his waist. She felt him harden beneath her, and she pulled away, giggling into his neck.
"Get a room!"
"Oh my God!"
"Are you seriously getting it on in my pool?"
They broke apart in shock and Lola almost toppled out of Bucky's arms, but he caught her in time. Sam, Steve, Peggy and Natasha were standing by the side of the pool, grinning at them. Or at least, they were bemused and somewhat disgusted.
"You're getting re-married in three days." said Sam blankly. "Can't you keep it in your pants that long?"
"Can you not do it where we can all see you?" huffed Steve, eyebrow raised as if daring them to continue.
"The pool is not as discreet as you think." hinted Natasha. "The building behind can see into it."
"You speaking from experience there, Romanoff?" asked Sam, smirking wolfishly.
"Oh no, I don't need to delve that deep into people's personal lives." interjected Steve, disappearing back inside as Peggy tittered.
"Actually, that's the idea." grinned Natasha, throwing a pair of towels at the couple as they emerged from the pool.
Peeling off her wet dress and underwear, Lola slipped into Bucky's shirt, smiling angelically at him when he cocked an eyebrow at her. He folded his arms across his bare chest, the veins in his forearms more prominent than usual as his eyes travelled up her legs. She languidly did the buttons up, leaving a couple open and batting her eyelashes as he slid back into his jeans. She was well aware she was pushing his buttons, but it was just far too much fun. Even more so because drunk Bucky was nowhere near as shy or reserved as his sober self, and it was with a giggle she danced out of his wandering hands.
Inside, Natasha was handing out little whiteboards and markers to everyone. Lola looked at her for an explanation as Bucky pulled her down on the lounge chair, twining his legs with hers as she made herself more comfortable on his lap. Natasha flashed a warning look, before explaining the rules of the game of 'how well do you know the bride and groom'? She laid out a shot glass for everyone, and placed the bottle of vodka in the centre of the glass table.
"Given a free pass, which celebrity would the bride sleep with?" read Natasha, in her best game show voice, holding the card aloft.
There was a collective 'ooh' and the sound of squeaking as everyone hurriedly scribbled out their answers. Bucky was concentrating so hard, his tongue was sticking out between his lips as he tried to write as neatly as he could. He was the first to be done, and whilst he eagerly waited for everyone else to finish, he took the opportunity to curl his fingers around Lola's waist, dragging her slowly up his thigh. Her fingers dug into the armrest, and he felt her quiver as Natasha asked for everyone's answers.
"Chris Pine." said Bucky proudly, and Lola rolled her eyes.
"Well, it's not like I made that one difficult for you." she scoffed, throwing back her shot.
"No, you didn't." agreed Steve, waving his board.
"Wait, how do you know that she wants to sleep with Chris Pine?" laughed Natasha.
"Do you know how many times we've had to listen to Bucky go on about 'that Chris Pine man, he needs to stop with his blue eyes, bro'." sighed Sam, holding up his board, too.
"But his eyes are blue." reasoned Lola.
"So blue." agreed Peggy dreamily.
"My eyes are blue!" cried Bucky and Steve simultaneously, and Natasha decided to move on before a fight broke out.
"When was the bride's first kiss?" she said loudly, reading the next question.
There was an excitable hum, as Natasha's contestants wrote down their next answers. Bucky was the first to finish again, looking smug with the fact that he clearly knew his wife best. It wavered when he saw the coy smiles said wife and her best friend shared, though.
"It was with Erik," he replied confidently. "When she was sixteen at the school dance."
Bucky looked around the group, glancing at everyone's answers. Peggy had written 'Prince Harry', shrugging as she looked at Steve, who went red and held up his answer of 'Bucky?'. Bucky appreciated that one, whereas Sam's scrawl of 'me, baby!' made him narrow his eyes at his supposed friend.
"Hm," said Lola thoughtfully, pouring a shot for Bucky. "Sadly wrong, Peggy; you wish it was Bucky; and in your dreams, Sam!"
"What?" gawked Bucky, as she pushed the shot of vodka towards him. "Who was it then?"
"Me, of course." drawled Natasha, blowing a kiss in her best friend's direction.
"Is there anythin' else I should know about?" asked Bucky, fingers drawing circles on Lola's hip. "You two sure been up to a lot."
"You have no idea." replied Natasha mysteriously, as Lola gripped Bucky's thigh, all too aware of the game he was playing.
"What is Lola's most embarrassing moment?" was Natasha's next question.
Steve was the first to finish, in a surprising turn of events, and Bucky laughed, knowing Steve had probably written about the time Lola had worn a certain red dress to dinner. He faltered when he learned that everyone had vastly different answers.
"The day she married Barnes." Sam chuckled evilly, happily accepting his forfeit shot in exchange for the sour look on Bucky's face.
"When we went to that new bar in Shoreditch and she got so drunk she came out the loo wearing her skirt upside down and inside out." screamed Peggy, frowning when Lola shook her head.
"You guys are the worst." chuckled Bucky, spinning his board around.
"It was obviously the time she was in Paris and someone asked her for a lighter." sighed Steve boredly. "And she said 'no, sorry' in English but in a French accent."
Everyone stared at Steve.
"How the bloody hell do you know that?" cried Lola, flushing dark pink.
"You told me." replied Steve, looking at her indecorously.
"I haven't even told Bucky that! When did I tell you?"
"When… you were in labour with Hope. You were really high on painkillers and gas, and… you made me pinky swear not to tell anyone." explained Steve, turning pink, too.
Lola cocked her head to one side, holding her shot of vodka as she observed Steve with the likeness of a little puppy.
"You're a dark horse, Steve Rogers." she concluded, swallowing the vodka.
"How many secrets she told you, pal?" asked Bucky curiously, as Lola sidled closer.
Steve laughed and shook his head profusely.
"You finally got a good woman to marry you, Buck." he joked good-naturedly. "I'm not screwing that up."
"If we're quite finishing divulging my secrets, can we move on?" asked Lola loudly.
Steve accepted the card Natasha handed him, a little perplexed by the shot Peggy thrust at him simultaneously. He looked at her questioningly, but she flapped at her hands at him and he reluctantly gulped it down, before glancing down at the first question, the understanding dawning on his face.
"Is the groom an ass or tits man?" he read, his eyebrows practically disappearing up his hairline.
"Ass." said the group, no-one even bothering to reach for their whiteboards.
Bucky opened his mouth but upon realising there was no case to be argued, he settled for the vodka shot he had to drink as a forfeit and slyly grabbing his wife's ass when no-one was looking. It made her giggle, and she didn't hesitate to shift her leg, her thigh grazing his crotch as she dared him to make a move with the twinkle in her eye. As he debated his options, she dragged her fingers over his chest, tracing the hard lines of muscle there.
Oblivious, Steve was silently reading the next questions written on his card, his mouth forming the words as his face grew progressively more amused.
"What was the bride and groom's first date?" read Steve, chuckling softly.
"Oh, that's easy!" cried Peggy happily. "You came over to ours for dinner."
"And then you went to the cinema." added Natasha, grinning at the couple.
"Before going home and having the hottest sex ever." concluded Lola dreamily, snuggling into Bucky who puffed his chest out proudly.
"Anyway, before you get too carried away. Who said 'I love you' first?"
"Bucky." said the friends almost immediately.
Lola turned her head to look at Bucky, her lips curling up as their friends' eyes darted between them. She could remember the memory like it was only yesterday, and the beaming smile on his face made it obvious he did too.
"Just outta curiosity," began Bucky, lazing combing his fingers through Lola's hair. "Why'd you all assume it was me?"
"It wasn't?" marvelled Natasha, a surprised smile on her face.
"What, is it so hard to believe that I said it first?" quizzed Lola, fingers delicately running across Bucky's collarbone.
"I guess Bucky isn't the hopeless romantic we had him pegged as." supposed Steve, the vodka slipping down far easier now.
"Oh, he is." giggled Lola. "But, he's more than that, too."
"When you're done making doe eyes at your husband, can we move on?" trilled Natasha, now simply pouring out drinks as the game was too soppy in her estimation.
"Alright, let's not get our panties in our bundle." said Lola, reaching over to pluck the card from Steve's hand. "After how many dates did the bride and groom sleep together?"
Bucky bit back a laugh, as Steve put down his empty glass and sighed defeatedly, throwing his arms out and almost smacking Sam in the face.
"That doesn't count!" he cried in outrage. "You got married an hour after meeting each other! And you were both drunk!"
Sam choked on his drink, coughing and spluttering as vodka sprayed from his nose. Steve's blue eyes widened comically, his words replaying in his head as he shot Bucky an apologetic look, guilt written all over his face. Peggy merely sighed and pushed the nearly empty bottle away from her bumbling husband and Natasha looked positively gleeful, eager to hear what excuse would be conjured up.
"What?" asked Sam breathlessly.
Met with sketchy nervousness, he proceeded to give each and every one of his friends a dirty look.
"You all know about this?" he lamented. "Why did no-one tell me?"
Sam continued to whine, and Natasha decided to put a stop to it. She pulled out a box of Twister; declaring that it was the perfect time to play it, girls against boys.
Steve and Peggy lumbered up first. Peggy was easily better than Steve, who found it difficult to contort his body into the yoga like positions Peggy could. But her tiny arms let her down, Steve's rather muscly ones able to withstand the pressure. The girls booed as Steve grinned proudly, kissing a huffy Peggy on the nose.
Natasha and Sam went next. Sam stretched as he limbered up, cockily announcing his victory. Peggy and Lola shared a grin. There was a reason Natasha had been given the part of a character aptly named the Black Widow in her latest performance. She was flexible in ways that shouldn't even be possible. Sam struggled to keep up, and eventually collapsed in a pile, while Natasha remained cool in her upside down position, her legs and arms all over the place.
It was all down to Lola now, who held her hands up quickly as Bucky made to stand up.
"I can't play."
"Why the hell not?" scoffed Natasha.
"I'm not wearing any underwear!" she hissed, prodding Bucky sharply when his fingers crept under the hem of the shirt she was wearing. "He got it all wet!"
Natasha and Peggy burst out laughing, Sam and Steve cringing as Bucky buried his face in the crook of Lola's neck, shaking as he chuckled darkly. Lola sat there, completely unamused, before swivelling around and straddling Bucky.
"You want to play? Then let's play."
Standing up before he could protest, she tapped her foot as she waited for Bucky to join the game. He did so sportingly, before warning Steve, and Sam more so, that if they even dared to look in his wife's direction, he would kill them in their sleep. Then he turned to said wife with a beaming smile.
"Ready to lose, sweetheart?" he teased.
"In your dreams, love."
He was surprisingly better than Lola expected him to be. He had all the agility of a soldier, and it wasn't long before she found herself appreciating the way his muscles looked under the strain of a game of Twister.
Bucky was equally as desperation to maintain his concentration, but now she was bending over in front of him and all the vodka was rushing to his head.
"You're starting to look tired, sweetheart." Said Bucky, as he moved as instructed.
He found himself looking up at Lola, his arms holding him up in a bridge position.
"I'm just getting warmed up." She answered, her long hair falling over her face.
It tickled Bucky, shielding his face from their friends, and he tried to maintain his composure. She grinned at him, and he could feel his arms shaking, they were going to give out any moment.
"Whenever you're ready, love." She smirked, thinking along the same lines.
"Oh no, you're not winning this one, sweetheart."
And with that he pushed himself up as far as he would go, brushing his lips along Lola's neck. She groaned and lost her concentration, falling on top of him with a little shriek. He grinned as she lifted her head up from his chest. She was about to scold him for cheating, but, her brain was fuzzy from all the alcohol, and all she could think about was how pretty he looked.
"Your eyes are so blue, Bucky." she whispered dreamily. "Impossibly blue. And so pretty. It's like I'm drowning in them, in a good way."
She burst into giggles and flopped her head back down, hiding her face in his chest, before that, too, distracted her. Actually, every part of his body distracted her. His sculpted shoulders, arms, and chest… his jeans that clung to him in all the right places…
"Do you want to have another baby?" Bucky blurted, clapping his hands over her mouth as she lifted her head off his chest and stared.
"You what now?" she choked, grinning cheekily.
"'M sorry. I'm just drunk, real drunk, and you're on top o' me and I feel compelled to tell you that I wanna have more babies with you 'cause you're goddamn beautiful."
Lola's tongue slipped past her lips, licking them languidly as she slid further up, legs falling either side of his waist.
"Might I remind you that you implemented this 'no sex before the wedding' rule."
"God, don't remind me. Why was I so stupid?"
A/N: Hello, everyone. I did initially have a purpose for this chapter, but it eventually spiralled into a 'Dad!Bucky is hot Bucky' and a bit of fun, because this story started with alcohol and therefore deserves to end with alcohol. Also, Lola's most embarrassing moment is actually the most mortifying experience of my life. I'm fluent in French, and was waiting for my friend outside the Sorbonne when a girl approached me and asked for a lighter. In perfect French, I told her "no, I don't smoke" before accidentally blurting "sorry"... in English... in a French accent. I'm still not sure why I did that...
There will be one more chapter after this, and then that will be all for this particular story. I truly hope you enjoyed this mish-mash of a chapter, and I hope you will enjoy the final instalment, too.
